Michael Rooker - wikipedia Michael Rooker For the English landscape painter, see Michael Angelo Rooker. Michael Rooker Rooker in 2015 ( 1955 - 04 - 06 ) April 6, 1955 ( age 62 ) Jasper, Alabama, United States Occupation Actor Years active 1986 -- present Spouse ( s ) Margot Rooker Children Michael Rooker ( born April 6, 1955 ) is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as Henry in Henry : Portrait of a Serial Killer ( 1986 ), as well as his roles as Terry Cruger in Sea of Love ( 1989 ), Rowdy Burns in Days of Thunder ( 1990 ), Bill Broussard in JFK ( 1991 ), Hal Tucker in Cliffhanger ( 1993 ), Jared Svenning in Mallrats ( 1995 ), Merle Dixon in The Walking Dead ( 2010 -- 2013 ) and Yondu Udonta in the Guardians of the Galaxy film series. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Filmography 4.1 Film 4.2 Television 4.3 Video games 5 References 6 External links Early life Michael Rooker was born in Jasper, Alabama. He has nine brothers and sisters. His parents divorced when he was 13 years old, and he moved with his mother and siblings to Chicago, Illinois, where he studied at the Goodman School of Drama. Career Rooker made his film debut in 1986, playing the title role in Henry : Portrait of a Serial Killer, a film based on the confessions of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. He was acting in a play when the play 's director, who was going to do the prosthetics for Henry, told him about the film. Rooker did not care if the script was good or bad, he just wanted to act in a film as it would `` challenge '' him. Henry was a critical success and got Rooker noticed in the filmmaking industry, which led to his receiving more film roles. Rooker was given more dramatic roles in films such as Eight Men Out, Mississippi Burning, and JFK, but he became widely known for his roles in action and thriller films such as Sea of Love, Days of Thunder, Cliffhanger, and Tombstone. He also starred in Mallrats, Rosewood, The 6th Day, Slither, Jumper, Super and Hypothermia. In June 2010, he revealed via Twitter that he was to appear in the AMC television series The Walking Dead as Merle Dixon, one of the survivors of a zombie apocalypse. He guest starred in two episodes of the first season and one of the second season before finally becoming a series regular for the third season. Rooker is also known for his roles in video games such as Call of Duty : Black Ops ( where he played himself ), Mike Harper in Call of Duty : Black Ops 2 in November 2012, and voiced Merle in The Walking Dead : Survival Instinct, the video game based on the television series. Rooker played Yondu in the Marvel Studios film Guardians of the Galaxy, which was directed by James Gunn. He reprised his role as Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ( 2017 ). Personal life Rooker lives in California, and is married to Margot Rooker. They have two daughters. Filmography Rooker at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con International, in character as Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy Film Year Title Role Notes 1986 Henry : Portrait of a Serial Killer Henry Fantasporto Award for Best Actor Golden Space Needle Award for Best Actor Nominated -- Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead Light of Day Oogie Rent - A-Cop Joe 1988 Above the Law Man in bar 1988 Eight Men Out Arnold `` Chick '' Gandil 1988 Mississippi Burning Frank Bailey 1989 Sea of Love Terry Cruger 1989 Music Box Karchy Laszlo 1990 Days of Thunder Rowdy Burns 1991 JFK Bill Broussard 1993 The Dark Half Sheriff Alan Pangborn 1993 Cliffhanger Hal Tucker 1993 Tombstone Sherman McMasters 1994 Suspicious Attendant Short film 1994 The Hard Truth Jonah Mantz 1995 Mallrats Jared Svenning Bastard Out of Carolina Uncle Earle The Trigger Effect Gary Back to Back Bob Malone 1997 Song of Hiawatha Bertrand 1997 Rosewood Sheriff Walker 1997 Keys to Tulsa Keith Michaels 1997 Deceiver Kennesaw 1997 Shadow Builder Father Vassey 1998 The Replacement Killers Stan `` Zeedo '' Zedkov 1998 Brown 's Requiem Fritz Brown Also associate producer 1998 Renegade Force Matt Cooper 1999 A Table for One Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan Also co-executive producer 1999 Bone Collector, The The Bone Collector Captain Howard Cheney 2000 Table One Rowdy 2000 Here on Earth Malcolm Arnold 2000 NewsBreak John McNamara 2000 The 6th Day Robert Marshall 2001 Replicant Det. Jake Riley 2002 Undisputed AJ Mercker 2003 The Box Det. Stafford The Eliminator Miles Dawson 2005 Chasing Ghosts Mark Spencer 2006 Repo ! The Genetic Opera Repo Man Short film ( 10 - minute short used to pitch full - length film ) 2006 Lenexa, 1 Mile Russ 2006 Slither Grant Grant 2007 Whisper Sidney 2008 The Lena Baker Story Randolph County Sheriff 2008 Jumper William Rice 2008 This Man 's Life Richard Crummly Short film 2009 Super Capers Judge / Dark Winged Vesper 2009 Penance Mann 2009 The Marine 2 Church Direct - to - DVD Scott 's Dead Mitch Short film Freeway Killer Detective St. John Blood Done Sign My Name Defense Attorney Billy Watkins Cell 213 Ray Clement DC Showcase : Jonah Hex Red Doc ( voice ) Short film Louis Pat McMurphy Super Abe 2011 Atlantis Down Father / Alien 2011 Mysteria Captain McCarthy 2011 Elwood Condello Short film 2012 The Lost Episode Director 2012 Hypothermia Ray Pelletier 2013 Brother 's Keeper Chief Carver 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy Yondu 2016 The Belko Experiment Bud Melks 2017 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Yondu Television Year Title Role Notes 1986 Crime Story Lieutenant Episode : `` Pilot '' 1988 The Equalizer Bill Whitaker Episode : `` No Place Like Home '' 1989 Gideon Oliver Det. John Quinn Episode : `` Sleep Well, Professor Oliver '' 1989 The Edge Deputy Sheriff Television film 1989 L.A. Takedown Bosko Television film 1990 Equal Justice Wallace ' Wally ' Dalton Episode : `` Sugar Blues '' Afterburn Casey `` Z '' Zankowski Television film 1995 Fallen Angels Babe McCloor Episode : `` Fly Paper '' 1995 Johnny & Clyde Frank Tennant Television film 2001 Outer Limits, The The Outer Limits Col. Beckett Episode : `` Patient Zero '' 2001 Hostage Rescue Team Special Agent Nicholas Roberts Pilot 2002 Jeremiah Major Quantrell Episode : `` Firewall '' 2003 Tremors Kinney Episode : `` Hit and Run '' 2003 Lucky Gibby Episode : `` Savant '' 2003 Stargate SG - 1 Col. Edwards Episode : `` Enemy Mine '' 2003 CSI : Miami Marty Jones Episode : `` Dead Zone '' 2003 On Thin Ice Hopkins Television film 2003 Saving Jessica Lynch Col. Curry Television film Skeleton Man Capt. Leary Television film Las Vegas Marcus Wexler Episode : `` Degas Away with It '' 2005 Numb3rs Don 's partner Unaired pilot 2005 JAG Capt. Jack Ramsey Episode : `` Heart of Darkness '' 2006 Thief Det. John Hayes 5 episodes 2007 Crossing Jordan Shawn Curaco Episode : `` D.O.A. '' 2008 Law & Order Jamie Yost Episode : `` Executioner '' 2008 Shark Oscar Riddick Episode : `` Bar Fight '' 2008 Chuck Mauser Episode : `` Chuck Versus Santa Claus '' 2008 Humanzee ! Priest Episode : `` Pilot '' 2009 Meteor Calvin Stark 2 episodes 2009 Criminal Minds Chief Carlson Episode : `` House on Fire '' 2009 Psych Garth Longmore Episode : `` Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark '' Burn Notice Dale Lawson Episode : `` Guilty as Charged '' Matadors John Canterna Pilot 2010 -- 2013 Walking Dead, The The Walking Dead Merle Dixon 14 episodes Satellite Award for Best Cast -- Television Series ( 2012 ) 2012 Outlaw Country Larkin 's henchman Television film 2012 Archer Sheriff EZ Ponder ( voice ) Episode : `` Bloody Ferlin '' Video games Year Title Role Notes The Chronicles of Riddick : Escape from Butcher Bay Centurion / Jack ( voices ) 2006 Scarface : The World is Yours Various voices 2011 Call of Duty : Black Ops Himself ( voice ) Call of The Dead DLC 2011 Days of Thunder Rowdy Burns ( voice ) 2012 Lollipop Chainsaw Vikke ( voice ) 2012 Call of Duty : Black Ops II Mike Harper Voice acting and motion capture 2013 The Walking Dead : Survival Instinct Merle Dixon ( voice ) References ^ Jump up to : `` Michael Rooker ''. TV Guide. Retrieved July 19, 2014. Jump up ^ `` ' They ' Command You to Score New TP / HC From Image ''. Bloody Disgusting. Jump up ^ Michael Rooker Biography - Yahoo ! Movies Jump up ^ Hardwick, Chris ( December 20, 2011 ). `` Nerdist Podcast # 151 : Michael Rooker ''. Nerdist. Jump up ^ `` Dark Sky 's Hypothermia is Rolling ! Full Casting News ''. Dread Central. Jump up ^ `` Michael Rooker Discusses ' Henry : Portrait of a Serial Killer ' ''. Yahoo. Jump up ^ `` A Chat with Horror Icon Michael Rooker ''. Dread Central. Jump up ^ `` TV : Michael Rooker Becomes One of ' The Walking Dead ' ! ''. Bloody Disgusting. Jump up ^ `` Blood - Soaked Snow in First Hi - Res Look at ' Hypothermia ' ''. Bloody Disgusting. Jump up ^ `` Michael Rooker Scores Leading Role in Dark Sky 's ' Hypothermia ' ! ''. Bloody Disgusting. Jump up ^ `` First Look at Michael Rooker on the Set of ' Hypothermia ' ! ''. Bloody Disgusting. Jump up ^ `` Michael Rooker Joining AMC 's The Walking Dead ''. Dread Central. Jump up ^ `` Michael Rooker interview ( Merle Dixon on `` The Walking Dead '' ) ``. The Desk of Brian. Jump up ^ `` Michael Rooker Joins ' Guardians Of The Galaxy ' ''. Deadline.com. April 16, 2013. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Michael Rooker Says Yondu Will Return for Guardians of the Galaxy 2 ''. Renegade Cinema. Jump up ^ `` Truly Disturbing : Horror Icon of the Month : Michael Rooker Michael Rooker Online ''. www.michaelrookeronline.com. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 23. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Rooker. Michael Rooker on IMDb Michael Rooker Official Website Michael Rooker on Facebook Satellite Award for Best Cast -- Television Series 2000 The West Wing Alan Alda Stockard Channing Kristin Chenoweth Dulé Hill Allison Janney Moira Kelly Rob Lowe Joshua Malina Mary McCormack Janel Moloney Richard Schiff Martin Sheen Jimmy Smits John Spencer Bradley Whitford 2001 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Amber Benson Marc Blucas David Boreanaz Nicholas Brendon Charisma Carpenter Emma Caulfield Sarah Michelle Gellar Seth Green Alyson Hannigan Anthony Stewart Head James Marsters Michelle Trachtenberg 2005 Rescue Me Denis Leary John Scurti Daniel Sunjata Mike Lombardi Steven Pasquale Andrea Roth Callie Thorne Adam Ferrara Larenz Tate James McCaffrey Dean Winters 2006 Grey 's Anatomy Justin Chambers Eric Dane Patrick Dempsey Katherine Heigl T.R. Knight Sandra Oh James Pickens Jr. Ellen Pompeo Sara Ramirez Kate Walsh Isaiah Washington Chandra Wilson 2007 Mad Men Bryan Batt Anne Dudek Michael Gladis Jon Hamm Christina Hendricks January Jones Vincent Kartheiser Robert Morse Elisabeth Moss Kiernan Shipka Maggie Siff John Slattery Rich Sommer Aaron Staton 2009 True Blood Chris Bauer Mehcad Brooks Anna Camp Nelsan Ellis Michelle Forbes Mariana Klaveno Ryan Kwanten Todd Lowe Michael McMillian Stephen Moyer Anna Paquin Jim Parrack Carrie Preston William Sanderson Alexander Skarsgård Sam Trammell Rutina Wesley Deborah Ann Woll 2012 The Walking Dead Andrew Lincoln Sarah Wayne Callies Laurie Holden Norman Reedus Steven Yeun Lauren Cohan Chandler Riggs Melissa McBride Scott Wilson Danai Gurira Michael Rooker David Morrissey 2013 Orange Is the New Black Taylor Schilling Laura Prepon Michael J. Harney Michelle Hurst Kate Mulgrew Jason Biggs 2014 The Knick Clive Owen André Holland Jeremy Bobb Juliet Rylance Eve Hewson Michael Angarano Chris Sullivan Cara Seymour Eric Johnson David Fierro Maya Kazan Leon Addison Brown Grainger Hines Matt Frewer 2015 American Crime Felicity Huffman Timothy Hutton W. Earl Brown Richard Cabral Regina King Caitlin Gerard Benito Martinez Penelope Ann Miller Elvis Nolasco Johnny Ortiz 2016 Outlander Caitriona Balfe Sam Heughan Tobias Menzies Lotte Verbeek Laura Donnelly Steven Cree Duncan Lacroix Grant O'Rourke Gary Lewis Graham McTavish Stephen Walters Simon Callow Nell Hudson Dominique Pinon Stanley Weber Richard Rankin Sophie Skelton Andrew Gower Rosie Day Clive Russell Frances de la Tour VIAF : 64205657 LCCN : nr00006587 ISNI : 0000 0001 1572 7649 GND : 173801994 SUDOC : 147473209 BNF : cb14029587k ( data ) BNE : XX1265558 IATH : w6j3906x Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Rooker&oldid=799648654 '' Categories : 1955 births Living people People from Jasper, Alabama Male actors from Alabama American male film actors American male television actors American male karateka Kyokushin kaikan practitioners DePaul University alumni 20th - century American male actors 21st - century American male actors Male actors from Chicago Hidden categories : Articles with hCards Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Català Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Hrvatski Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 9 September 2017, at 00 : 33. 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Question: who plays yondu in guardians of the galaxy
Answer: Michael Rooker