Roles That Prove Michael Rooker Rules
In the 30 years since his first movie role, Michael Rooker has astonishingly earned over a hundred [...]
Henry Lee Lucas - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
As Henry, Rooker established himself as a terrifying on-screen presence who possessed an unsettling and confident demeanor, leading audiences to be terrified of what would happen when he lost his cool. Granted, the subject matter of a pair of serial killers forced Rooker to be terrifying and, considering his talents, the actor embraced the role with ferocity and cemented his status as a force to be reckoned with.
[H/T YouTube/FilmBuff Movies]
prevnextSvenning - Mallrats
Following a string of intense and intimidating roles throughout the '80s and early '90s, Kevin Smith tapped the talented Rooker to play the protective father of one of the lead characters in Mallrats, proving how effective the actor could be when playing off of comedic actors. His bald head gleamed with rage throughout most of the movie, providing a highly entertaining villain throughout the exploits of slackers hanging out at the mall, and he played a pivotal role in one of Smith's most memorable gags, the "Stink Palm."
[H/T YouTube/Russell Peterson]
prevnextGrant Grant - Slither
Mostly known for his intense performances, in Slither Rooker played a man who was at least charming enough to woo Elizabeth Banks, before he became infected by alien parasites and turned him into a mutated monstrosity. He wasn't the most pleasant guy to be around after his transformation, but even under all of the special effects and prosthetics, Rooker gave a performance that sold the desperation of a devoted husband changing into a horrific beast, and this film helped solidify his working relationship with James Gunn.
[H/T YouTube/Movieclips Trailer Vault]
prevnextMerle Dixon - The Walking Dead
One of the many challenges of acting is you need to humanize some of the most vile of all human traits, a fact Rooker hammered home while portraying the disgusting racist Merle in The Walking Dead. His beliefs make the original TV series character easy to hate, but the actor's latent charm makes it hard not to want to see his character on-screen. Years before we got the charismatically evil Negan with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Rooker gave us Merle, who also helped establish rapport with Daryl Dixon, often complicating our thoughts on Norman Reedus' character.
[H/T YouTube/Ernest Montilla]
prevnextYondu Udonta - Guardians of the Galaxy
Teaming up once again with James Gunn, Rooker played Yondu, leader of the Ravagers and the sometimes surrogate father of Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. Yet another character you love to hate, Yondu intimidated Star-Lord into doing his biddings but was always there for him when he was in trouble. His portrayal proved such an integral part of the film's chemistry that he was tapped to play Yondu in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, proving that no one can seem to get enough Michael Rooker. Considering his humble beginnings playing a serial killer, his 30-year journey to a beloved character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't too bad for a kid from Jasper, AL.
[H/T YouTube/Your Favourite Clips]
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