
Age: 71
male
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).

Set in the sprawling excess of mid-1990s Los Santos, Grand Theft Auto follows a retired bank robber living under federal protection whose carefully constructed suburban life masks a growing dissatisfaction with comfort and anonymity. When a chance encounter with an ambitious young hustler reignites his appetite for risk, the two form an uneasy partnership built on opportunity and ego. Their plans begin small, but the lure of status and legacy pushes them toward increasingly dangerous territory. The fragile alliance is further complicated by the return of a volatile figure from the older man’s past, whose loyalty runs as deep as his instability. As the trio navigate high-stakes heists, corrupt officials, and powerful interests operating behind the scenes, personal ambition threatens to fracture what little trust exists between them. In a city driven by image and greed, the pursuit of one last triumph becomes a test of survival — and of how much each man is willing to sacrifice for control.

