Michael Rooker

Biography:

Michael Rooker, born April 6, 1955, in Jasper, Alabama, is an American actor and voice actor. He grew up with nine siblings, and after his parents divorced when he was 13, he moved with his mother and siblings to Chicago. There, he attended Wells Community Academy High School and later studied at DePaul University’s Goodman School of Drama.

Rooker made his film debut in 1986, playing the lead in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, a role inspired by the confessions of Henry Lee Lucas. He learned about the part from a theater director working on the film’s prosthetics and accepted it mainly to challenge himself. The film received critical acclaim, paving the way for more roles.

He gained recognition in dramatic films such as Eight Men Out, Mississippi Burning, and JFK, but became widely known for his work in action and thriller films including Sea of Love, Days of Thunder, Cliffhanger, and Tombstone. Other film credits include Mallrats, Rosewood, The 6th Day, Slither, Jumper, Super, and Hypothermia.

In 2010, Rooker joined the AMC series The Walking Dead as Merle Dixon, initially appearing in guest roles during the first and second seasons before becoming a regular in season three. He also reprised the character in the video game The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct and lent his voice to roles in Call of Duty: Black Ops and its sequel.

Rooker portrayed Yondu Udonta in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), reprising the role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022). He also appeared in the 2021 action film F9.

A frequent collaborator of director James Gunn, Rooker has appeared in several of Gunn’s films, including Slither (2006), Super (2010), and The Suicide Squad (2021).

Rooker lives in California with his wife, Margot, whom he married in 1979, and their two daughters, Alynne and Gillian. He also practices Kyokushin karate.

Notable roles in his career 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 Howard Cheney in The Bone Collector (1999), Merle Dixon in The Walking Dead (2010–2013), Yondu Udonta in Guardians of the Galaxy films, and Buddy in F9 (2021).