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Michael Rooker Biography and Full Filmography - MovieWise

Quick Facts

Born:
1955-04-06

Birthplace:
Jasper, Alabama, USA

Credits:
143 Total Roles

Michael Rooker

Acting

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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).

Known For

Full Filmography

Year Title Role
2025 Superman MOVIE Superman Robot #1 (voice)
2024 Creature Commandos TV Sam (voice)
2024 Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 MOVIE Sgt. Major Riordan
2024 Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 MOVIE Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
2023 The Out-Laws MOVIE Agent Oldham
2023 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 MOVIE Yondu
2022 The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special MOVIE Yondu
2022 White Elephant MOVIE Gabriel Tancredi
2022 Corrective Measures MOVIE Warden Devlin
2022 Peacemaker TV Red St. Wild

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