Michael Joseph Kyle Rooney is an American dancer and choreographer. He is the son of actor

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

, and is best known for his work on

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

s. Rooney has won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography in 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2008.

Early life, including mother’s murder

Michael Rooney was born on March 30, 1962 at

Saint John's Health Center Providence Saint John's Health Center, formerly St. Johns Hospital and Health Center, is a private not-for-profit, Roman Catholic hospital in Santa Monica, California, United States. The hospital was founded in 1942 by the Sisters of Charity of ...

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

. He is the son of

and the former Barbara Ann Thomason. In December 1965, when Rooney was not yet four years old, his father filed for divorce after learning his wife was romantically interested in actor

Milos Milos Milos Milos ( sr, Милош Милошевић; born Miloš Milošević; 1 July 1941 – 30 January 1966) was a Serbian-born American actor, stunt double and bodyguard for actor Alain Delon. Early life Milos came from an influential family ...

evic, but then the couple reconciled. On January 29, 1966 Milosevic shot and killed Barbara Rooney, and then killed himself. Rooney and his three full-siblings went to live with his maternal grandparents. As a youth he had little contact with his famous father. When he was a young teen his grandmother sat him and his siblings down and explained what happened to their mother. His father later told Michael that his mother was "one of the most wonderful ladies he’d ever met."

1980s dance work

Rooney started dancing after obtaining a part in his high school's production of ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...

''. He began taking dancing lessons, and his father told him "I can open the door but you have to walk through." His first professional dancing role was in the 1980s series '' Fame''. Other early dancing roles were in '' War and Remembrance'', '' Annie'', ''

Grease 2 ''Grease 2'' is a 1982 American musical romantic comedy film and the sequel to the 1978 film ''Grease'', adapted from the 1971 musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Originally titled ''More Grease'', the film was produced ...

'', ''

Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satirical and current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely recognised for its prominent critici ...

'' and '' Staying Alive''. Also in the 1980s he traveled across the United States giving dance workshops.

Choreography career

Rooney became a choreographer who has won

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

for

best choreography The MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography is a craft award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and choreographer of the music video. From 1984 to 2007, the full name of the award was Best Choreography in a Video. The biggest winner ...

for the videos to both

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

's '' It's Oh So Quiet''. and

Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist ...

's ''

Praise You "Praise You" is a song by British big beat musician Fatboy Slim. It was released as the third single from his second studio album, ''You've Come a Long Way, Baby'' (1998), on 4 January 1999. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and in ...

''. He was the co-producer and choreographer for VH1's '' Hit the Floor'' for the year 2013. Rooney also choreographed the major dance sequence in the film ''

500 Days of Summer ''500 Days of Summer'' (stylized as ''(500) Days of Summer'') is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and produced by Mark Waters. The film stars ...

'', starring

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt (; born February 17, 1981) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his leading performances ...

. Michael did the choreography for

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

and her ''

Younger Now ''Younger Now'' is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus. It was released on September 29, 2017, by RCA Records. Cyrus began planning a commercial follow-up record to her fourth album ''Bangerz'' while simultaneous ...

'' 2017 MTV VMA performance. His work has included choreographing

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

's '' You Rock My World'',

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

's ''

Can't Get You Out of My Head "Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a song that was recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her eighth studio album, ''Fever'' (2001). Parlophone Records released the song as the album's lead single on 8 September 2001. "Can't Get ...

'' and Fatboy Slim's '' Weapon of Choice''. Other music video work has included for

Fiona Apple Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Apple has received numerous awards an ...

's "

Paper Bag A paper bag is a bag made of paper, usually kraft paper. Paper bags can be made either with virgin or recycled fibres to meet customers’ demands. Paper bags are commonly used as shopping carrier bags and for packaging of some consumer go ...

My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist ...

's ''

Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer *Helena, mother of Constantine I Places Greece * Helena (island) Guyana * H ...

'' and

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...

's '' Say It Isn't So''. TV work has included for ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...

'', '' Any Day Now'', ''

Mad About You ''Mad About You'' is an American television sitcom starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City. It initially aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999, winning numerous awards including four Golden Glob ...

'', '' Zeke and Luther'', ''

Saved by the Bell ''Saved by the Bell'' is an American television sitcom created by Sam Bobrick for NBC. The series premiered, in primetime, on August 20, 1989, a Sunday night. Targeted at kids and teens, ''Saved by the Bell'' was broadcast in the United States ...

'' and the pilot episode of ''

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' is an American romantic musical comedy-drama television series that premiered on October 12, 2015, on The CW and ran for four seasons, ending on April 5, 2019. The series was created, written, and directed by Rachel Blo ...

'', while film work has included ''

''. He has done

choreography Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

for advertisements, including Mother's Cookies,

Diesel Jeans Diesel S.p.A. is an Italian retail clothing company, located in Breganze, Italy. It sells denim and other clothing, footwear, and accessories. The clothing line has two different brands: Diesel and Diesel Black Gold. There is also a line for c ...

and

Baileys Baileys Irish Cream is an Irish cream liqueur, an alcoholic drink flavoured with cream, cocoa and Irish whiskey. It is made by Diageo at Nangor Road, in Dublin, Ireland and in Mallusk, Northern Ireland. It is the original Irish cream, invent ...

."Baileys kick starts re-launch with biggest ever global campaign"
(Press release). Diageo, October 4, 2012 In 2011 he choreographed the puppeteers in ''

The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompas ...

''. That was the only film that he and his father both worked on, for

had a small cameo part in the musical.Maria Sciullo, Making Muppets dance a truly amazing feat, ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', November 24, 2011, page 71
/ref> He also worked on the television film '' Lovestruck: The Musical''.Rooney well-received in Pittsburgh, ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', April 8, 2014, page 23
/ref>

Filmography

*'' Annie'' (1982) *''

'' (1982) *'' Staying Alive'' (1983) *''

Infinity Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is often denoted by the infinity symbol . Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the philosophical nature of infinity was the subject of many discussions am ...

'' (1996) *''

I Heart Huckabees ''I Heart Huckabees'' (stylized as ''I ♥ Huckabees''; also ''I Love Huckabees'') is a 2004 independent black comedy film directed and produced by David O. Russell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Baena. A self-described "existential c ...

'' (2004) *''

Clerks II ''Clerks II'' is a 2006 American comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, the sequel to his 1994 film ''Clerks'', and his sixth feature film to be set in the View Askewniverse. The film stars Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Daw ...

'' (2006) *'' Red Riding Hood'' (2006) *''

Jackass Number Two ''Jackass Number Two'' is a 2006 American reality slapstick comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine. It is the sequel to '' Jackass: The Movie'' (2002), both based upon the MTV series '' Jackass''. Like its predecessor and the original television ...

'' (2006) *''

An American Carol ''An American Carol'' (released as ''Big Fat Important Movie'' in other territories) is a 2008 American satirical comedy film directed by David Zucker and written by Zucker, Myrna Sokoloff and Lewis Friedman. Using the framework of Charles Dicke ...

'' (2008) *''

'' (2009) *''

Shrek Forever After ''Shrek Forever After'' is a 2010 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The sequel to '' Shrek the T ...

'' (2010) *''

'' (2011) *'' A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III'' (2012) *'' Lovestruck: The Musical'' (2013) *''

The Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, w ...

'' (2016) *'' Dora and the Lost City of Gold'' (2019) *'' Jackass Forever'' (2022)

Music videos

Straight Up Straight up is a bartending term referring to a chilled drink served in a stemmed glass without ice. Straight Up may also refer to: * ''Straight Up'' (book), by author, blogger, physicist and climate expert Joseph J. Romm * ''Straight Up'' (Ha ...

" by

Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographe ...

(1989) *" Cradle of Love" by

Billy Idol William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British-American singer, songwriter, and musician. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer o ...

(1990) *" It's Oh So Quiet" by

(1995) *" The Rascal King" by

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (informally referred to as The Bosstones and often stylized as The Mighty Mighty BossToneS) were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dick ...

(1997) *" Hitchin' a Ride" by

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a ...

(1997) *"

" by

(1999) *"

" by

(2000) *" Say It Isn't So" by

(2000) *"

Pop Ya Collar "Pop Ya Collar" is a single by American recording artist Usher, released to US radio on October 17, 2000. It was written by himself, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, and Kandi Burruss. The song was produced for his cancelled third studio album ''All ...

" by

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** F ...

(2000) *" Weapon of Choice" by

(2001) *"

Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!) "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" is the debut single of American R&B singer Blu Cantrell, written and produced by Dallas Austin and featured on Cantrell's debut album, '' So Blu'' (2001). The song was released in the United States on April 23, 2001, ...

" by

Blu Cantrell Blu Cantrell (born Tiffany Cobb; March 16, 1976) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. Cantrell rose to fame in 2001, with the release of her debut single, "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)", which peaked at number two on the US ''Billboa ...

(2001) *" Take Me Home" by Sophie Ellis-Bextor (2001) *" You Rock My World" by

(2001) *"

" by

(2001) *"Grown Up" by

2 Skinnee J's 2 Skinnee J's (also spelled Two Skinnee J's or Too Skinnee J's) is an American hip hop band from Brooklyn, New York, whose music has been categorized as nerdcore and rap rock. The band was founded in 1991 by Special J (vocals), Rabbi J-Slim (voc ...

(2002) *" The One You Love" by

Paulina Rubio Paulina Susana Rubio Dosamantes (; born 17 June 1971) is a Mexican singer. Referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Golden Girl" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Pop", she first achieved recognition as ...

(2002) *" Life Goes On" by

LeAnn Rimes Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at age 13 with 1996's "Blue". She has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Chri ...

(2002) *" Misfit" by Amy Studt (2003) *"I'm Gone" by

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...

(2003) *" Slow" by

(2003) *" Plug It In" by

Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe. The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London, UK. They first rose to popularity in the underground house sce ...

(2004) *"

Chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec ci ...

" by

(2004) *" Accidentally in Love" by

Counting Crows Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...

(2004) *"

Flawless (Go to the City) "Flawless (Go to the City)" is a song co-written and performed by British singer George Michael and released by Sony BMG on 28 June 2004. It samples " Flawless" (2001), originally recorded by the electronic music band the Ones, which in turn sam ...

" by

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling music ...

(2004) *"

" by

(2005) *" O' Sailor" by

(2005) *"

Call Me When You're Sober "Call Me When You're Sober" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their second studio album, ''The Open Door''. It was released as the album's lead single on September 4, 2006. The track was written by Amy Lee and guitarist Terry Bal ...

" by

Evanescence Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer and musician Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording independent EPs as a duo in the late 90's, and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut ...

(2006) *"

Teenagers Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the t ...

" by

(2007) *" Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" by

Gnarls Barkley Gnarls Barkley are an American soul duo, composed of singer-songwriter CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse. They released their debut studio album, ''St. Elsewhere'', in 2006. It contained their hit single "Crazy", which peaked at number two ...

(2008) *" Last of the American Girls" by

(2010) *" Obsession" by

Sky Ferreira Sky Tonia Ferreira (born July 8, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, model, and actress. As a teenager, Ferreira began uploading videos on Myspace of herself singing songs she had written, which led to her discovery by producers Bloods ...

(2010) *"Different" by Ximena (2011) *"

Gonna Get Over You "Gonna Get Over You" is a song written and recorded by American singer Sara Bareilles. It was released as the third and final single from her second studio album ''Kaleidoscope Heart'' (2010). On September 20, a new version featuring Ryan Tedde ...

" by

Sara Bareilles Sara Beth Bareilles (, ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. She has earned various awards and nominations including nin ...

(2011) *"

Beekeeper's Daughter "Beekeeper's Daughter" is a song by American rock band the All-American Rejects, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album ''Kids in the Street'' on January 31, 2012. Background and composition "Beekeeper's Daughter" was written ...

" by

The All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects is an American rock band from Stillwater, Oklahoma, formed in 1999.Nobody but Me" by

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

(2016) *"

Sweat Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distrib ...

" by

The All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects is an American rock band from Stillwater, Oklahoma, formed in 1999.The All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects is an American rock band from Stillwater, Oklahoma, formed in 1999.Younger Now ''Younger Now'' is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus. It was released on September 29, 2017, by RCA Records. Cyrus began planning a commercial follow-up record to her fourth album ''Bangerz'' while simultaneous ...

" by

(2017) *" Send Her to Heaven" by

The All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects is an American rock band from Stillwater, Oklahoma, formed in 1999.Official website Murder in Tinseltown: Michael Rooney, son of child star Mickey, tells Emma Brockes the shocking story of his past
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rooney, Michael Living people American choreographers People from Los Angeles 1962 births