Michael Rooker
Actor
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 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).
As Director
Filmography
Guardians of the Galaxy
as Yondu Udonta 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
as Yondu 2017
The Suicide Squad
as Savant 2021
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
as Yondu 2023
F9
as Buddy 2021
Jumper
as William Rice 2008
Love and Monsters
as Clyde 2020
Superman
as Superman Robot #1 (voice) 2025
The Bone Collector
as Captain Howard Cheney 1999
Brightburn
as The Big T 2019
Fantasy Island
as Damon 2020
Cliffhanger
as Hal Tucker 1993
Tombstone
as Sherman McMasters 1993
JFK
as Bill Broussard 1991
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
as Yondu 2022
The 6th Day
as Robert Marshall 2000
Mississippi Burning
as Frank Bailey 1988