Kammala wannan magana: An shiga soja a lokacin Yaƙin Duniya na II, Rooney ya yi kusan shekaru biyu yana nishadantar da sojoji sama da miliyan biyu a kan fage da rediyo, kuma an ba shi lambar yabo ta Bronze Star don yin aiki a yankunan yaƙi. Da ya dawo a 1945, ya tsufa da yawa don rawar matasa, amma ya yi ƙasa da yawancin matsayin manya, kuma bai sami damar samun rawar gani ba. Koyaya, yawancin ƙananan kasafin kuɗi, amma fina-finai masu kyau da aka karɓa sun sami Rooney a matsayin jagora a wannan lokacin da kuma shekarun 1950. An sabunta shaharar Rooney tare da rawar da aka samu a fina-finai kamar "The Bold and the Brave" (1956), "Requiem for a Heavyweight" (1962), "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963), "Pete's Dragon" (1977), da kuma "The Black Stallion" (1979). Domin rawar da ya taka a "The Bold and the Brave" da kuma "The Black Stallion", Rooney ya sami lambar yabo ta Academy Award don Kyauta Mafi Kyawu a Matsayin Mataimaki a
1957 da 1980 bi da bi. A farkon shekarun 1980, ya koma Broadway a cikin " Sugar Babies ", wani rawar da ya sa ya sami lambar yabo ta Tony Award da Drama Desk Award don Kyauta mafi kyau a cikin Wasan kwaikwayo, kuma ya sake zama tauraron tauraron dan adam. Ya yi daruruwan bayyanuwa a talabijin, gami da wasan kwaikwayo, shirye-shirye iri-iri, da shirye-shiryen tattaunawa.