Michael Rooker is an American actor who mainly plays roles of antagonists. He first rose to prominence for portraying Henry in
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), and is best known for starring as Merle Dixon in the AMC series
The Walking Dead (2010â2013) 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 his films
Slither (2006),
Super (2010) and
The Suicide Squad (2021).