Michael Rooker

Acting · Born 1955-04-06 in Jasper, Alabama, USA

Biography

Michael Rooker (born April 6, 1955) is an American actor who mainly plays roles of antagonists. He first rose to prominence for portraying the titular role in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) and is best known for starring as Merle Dixon in the AMC series The Walking Dead (2010–2013) and as Yondu Udonta in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), followed by its sequels Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). He is a recurring collaborator of Guardians of the Galaxy director and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn, appearing in all of his films to date, including Slither (2006), Super (2010), and The Suicide Squad (2021). Rooker's other notable roles include Chick Gandil in Eight Men Out (1988), Frank Bailey in Mississippi Burning (1988), Terry…

Filmography

• Mississippi Burning as Frank Bailey
• JFK as Bill Broussard
• Tombstone as Sherman McMasters
• The Suicide Squad as Savant
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as Yondu
• Guardians of the Galaxy as Yondu Udonta
• The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special as Yondu
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Yondu
• Love and Monsters as Clyde
• F9 as Buddy

TV

• Chuck as Mauser
• The Walking Dead as Merle Dixon
• CSI: Miami as Marty Jones
• Criminal Minds as Chief Carlson
• Stargate SG-1 as Colonel Edwards
• The Outer Limits as Colonel Beckett
• What If...? as Yondu (voice)
• The Rookie as Frank Teska
• Psych as Garth Lawnmore
• Archer as Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)