In addition to his movie roles, Rooney made numerous guest-starring roles as a television character actor for nearly six decades, beginning with an episode of "Celanese Theatre". The part led to other roles on such television series as "Schlitz Playhouse", "Playhouse 90", "Producers' Showcase", "Alcoa Theatre", "The Soldiers", "Wagon Train", "General Electric Theater", "Hennesey", "The Dick Powell Theatre", "Arrest and Trial" (1964), "Burke's Law" (1963), "Combat!" (1964), "The Fugitive", "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre", "The Jean Arthur Show" (1966), "The Name of the Game" (1970), "Dan August" (1970), "Night Gallery" (1970), "The Love Boat", "" (1995), "Murder, She Wrote" (1992), and "The Golden Girls" (1988) among many others.