Michael Rooker
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 Cruger in Sea of Love (1989), Rowdy Burns in Days of Thunder (1990), Bill Broussard in JFK (1991), Hal Tucker in Cliffhanger (1993), Sherman McMaster in Tombstone (1993), Jared Svenning in Mallrats (1995), Detective Edward Kennesaw in Deceiver (1997), Detective Howard Cheney in The Bone Collector (1999), Detective Jake Riley in Replicant (2001), and Buddy in F9 (2021).
Filmography (42)
Superman
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The Out-Laws
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
White Elephant
The Suicide Squad
F9
Vivo
Fantasy Island
Love and Monsters
Brightburn
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The Belko Experiment
Guardians of the Galaxy
Super
The Marine 2
Jumper
Whisper
Slither
Undisputed
Replicant
The 6th Day
Here on Earth
The Bone Collector
The Replacement Killers
Rosewood
Deceiver
Bastard Out of Carolina
The Trigger Effect
Mallrats
Cliffhanger
The Dark Half
Tombstone
JFK
Days of Thunder
Sea of Love
Eight Men Out
Mississippi Burning
Above the Law
Light of Day