| Michael Bell | |
| Birth Date: | 30 July 1938 |
| Birth Place: | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1956–present |
| Children: | Ashley Bell |
Michael Bell (born July 30, 1938) is an American actor who is most active in voice over roles. He has acted in video games and animated series, including Legacy of Kain, The Transformers, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Houndcats, Rugrats, The Smurfs, The Incredible Hulk, and Snorks and appeared on-screen in film and television, including the TV programs Dallas and Star Trek.
Michael Bell was born on July 30, 1938,[1] [2] in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family.[3]
His live action film career has included roles in films such as Thunder Alley (1967), Blue (1968), The Proud Rider (1971)[4] Brother John (1971), Rollercoaster (1977), Fast Company (1979), How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980) and (1989). Bell also appeared in live-action exploitation shorts and PSAs - scare films made in California during the early 1960s, ranging in content from venereal disease (Damaged Goods) to psychedelic drug abuse (Trip To Where).
He appeared in the pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint", as Bandi administrator Groppler Zorn, and in the episodes "The Homecoming" as a Bajoran and in "The Maquis."
Bell appeared in multiple episodes of Dallas as Les Crowley during the 1980–81 season, in M*A*S*H in the episode "Souvenirs" as Willie Stratton and also guest starred in two episodes of Three's Company as Rama Mageesh and Michael, a sleazy dance instructor in the sixth-season episode "Some Of That Jazz" (1981). Bell played Bill Duncan, Sabrina (Kate Jackson)'s ex-husband on Charlie's Angels, as well as appearing as King Edward Spencer on Jackson's series Scarecrow and Mrs. King. In 1970, he appeared in an episode of The Silent Force.
Bell had an important part in animated entertainment in the 1970s and 1980s. His first voice role was that of Stutz, the leader of The Houndcats. In 1973, he was Mark on the Hanna-Barbera series Speed Buggy. He voiced Redbeard the Pirate's Ghost in The New Scooby-Doo Movies episode "The Ghostly Creep from the Deep" as the second Redbeard themed monster in Scooby-Doo. Bell also reprised Mark on the same cartoon in the episode "Weird Winds of Winona".
From 1977 to 1984, Michael Bell played two of his best-known roles, Zan and Gleek on various Super Friends incarnations. He also voiced The Riddler on Challenge of the Superfriends. He also provided the voice of Lex Luthor as a young man, in the episode "History of Doom". However, Stan Jones was the voice of the adult Luthor throughout the series. Bell later played Luthor in the 1988 Superman series.
He was also Doctor Ben Cooper in Jana of the Jungle and in 1979, he voiced the title character of The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show and later made a guest appearance as Doctor Octopus in another superhero show, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.
Outside of animation, Bell performed on records and commercials, including the Young Man in A&M Records' Story of Halloween Horror album in 1977, and Parkay Margarine and Mug Root Beer ads. Bell provided the overdubbing of Peter Criss' dialogue in the band KISS's TV movie KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park. In 1980, he provided the voice of the title character in The B.B. Beegle Show, an unsold TV show pilot that featured puppets.
Throughout the 1980s, Michael Bell starred in four hit animated series;
He also starred in the 1982 animated series The Incredible Hulk. The Hulk was voiced by Bob Holt, while his human side, Bruce Banner, was played by Bell. In a 2004 interview, he joked about how Bob Holt would be annoyed that he was growling his throat out while Bell got the easier stuff.[5]
During this time, the actor also played Hiro Taka on Spiral Zone and Allstar Seaworthy on The Snorks (1984-1989)
Bell continues to work in animation in the 1990s and into the 21st century in movies and television, with roles such as Quackerjack from Disney's Darkwing Duck, Aziz on Aladdin and Ezekiel Rage on The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest. He was also featured as Opus in the Bloom County television special A Wish for Wings That Work.
From 1991 to 2004, in the Rugrats and All Grown Up!, he voiced three of the main characters' parents; Drew Pickles, Charles Finster Sr., and Boris Kropotkin.
Bell did the voices of Drake on W.I.T.C.H., Max Hauser, Duke's Dad on , Willy Wachowski on Handy Manny and additional roles in Tangled (2010).
In 2018, Bell reprised his role as Quackerjack on the reboot of DuckTales.
He is also a prolific voice in video games, which include , , , Age of Empires III, Baldur's Gate, Ratchet & Clank, the character Dark Fact in the game Ys I & II, and the character Raziel in three games in the Legacy of Kain series, among many others. He also plays the Fear in .
He narrated the documentary programs Earth's Fury (also known as Anatomy of Disaster internationally), Expeditions to the Edge, Bullet Catchers and Mysteries of Asia, while he narrated some episodes of E! True Hollywood Story.
In 1983, he and his future wife Victoria Carroll opened The West End Playhouse in Van Nuys. The two of them organized, wrote, directed, and acted in dozens of productions.
One of the most notable was The Ladies of the Camillias in which Bell played the villain Ivan and Victoria starred as Madame Sarah Bernhardt. The play won multiple Drama Logue Awards.[6]
He served as the theater's director until 1988, when by mutual agreement to devote more time to their child, Bell and Carroll sold the theater to Edmund Gaynes and Pamela Hall.[7]
Bell was the voice director for Kidd Video, Peter Pan and the Pirates, as well as the web series The LeBrons.
On March 30, 2012, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) completed a merger of equals forming a new union SAG-AFTRA. As a result of this merger, a group of actors including Bell, fellow voice actors Wendy Schaal, Clancy Brown, Schaal's former stepmother Valerie Harper, and other actors including former SAG President Edward Asner, Martin Sheen, Ed Harris and Nancy Sinatra immediately sued against the current SAG President Ken Howard and several SAG Vice Presidents to overturn the merger and separate the (now merged) two unions because of their claims that the election was improper.[8] The lawsuit was dropped by the plaintiffs several months later.[9]
In 1991, he and his colleague Melanie Chartoff conceived the Grayway Rotating Drain, a graywater recycling device for reuse of shower and sink water in the home. The following year, they finished and patented the product with the help of Ronald K. Ford.[10] [11] [12] [13] [14]
Bell has been married to actress Victoria Carroll since 1984.[15] Together they have a daughter, Ashley Bell, who is also an actress.[16] He is an animal rights activist. He is the godfather of actor Steve Guttenberg, who cites Bell as his inspiration to become an actor.
Bell served on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Local of SAG-AFTRA in 2016 until 2019.[17]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Thunder Alley | Leroy Johnson | |||
| 1968 | Blue | Jim Benton | |||
| 1971 | Brother John | Cleve | |||
| 1977 | Rollercoaster | Chuck Demerest | |||
| 1977 | Star Wars | General Vanden Willard (voice) | |||
| 1979 | Fast Company | Chuck Randall | |||
| 1980 | How to Beat the High Cost of Living | Tom | |||
| 1989 | Mr. Williams | Uncredited |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Damaged Goods | Monk | ||
| 1968 | Trip to Where | Joe Hennessey | ||
| 1976 | Davy Crockett on the Mississippi | Honeysuckle, Settler | Television film | |
| 1982 | Heidi's Song | Willie | [18] | |
| 1983 | The Wind in the Willows | Ratty | ||
| 1985 | Star Fairies | Freddy Flawless, Frump, Spectre | ||
| 1986 | Granite, Narligator, Slimestone | |||
| 1986 | My Little Pony: The Movie | Grundle | ||
| 1986 | Scrapper, Swoop, Junkions | |||
| 1987 | Duke, Lift Ticket, Xamot | |||
| 1987 | The Brave Little Toaster | Television Announcer | ||
| 1987 | The Little Troll Prince | Krill, Kristi and Sonja's Father, Ribo | Television film | |
| 1988 | Rockin' with Judy Jetson | Quasar | Television film | |
| 1988 | The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound | Bailiff, Laughing Donkey, Longhorn Steer, Station Announcer, Stinky Dalton | Television film | |
| 1989 | Oompy | |||
| 1990 | Board Member #1 | |||
| 1991 | A Wish for Wings That Work | Opus the Penguin | ||
| 1992 | Ferdinand, Straycatcher #1 | |||
| 1993 | Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby | Mr. Pyrite | Television film | |
| 1993 | I Yabba-Dabba Do! | Mr. Pyrite | Television film | |
| 1996 | Stokey | |||
| 1997 | Cats Don't Dance | Lil' Ark Angels Announcer | ||
| 1997 | The Ugly Duckling | Fox | ||
| 1998 | Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island | Pierre | ||
| 1998 | The Rugrats Movie | Chaz Finster, Drew Pickles, Boris Kropotkin | ||
| 1999 | Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein | Victor Frankenstein | ||
| 2000 | Chaz Finster, Drew Pickles | |||
| 2003 | Rugrats Go Wild | Chaz Finster, Drew Pickles | ||
| 2004 | Home on the Range | Horse | ||
| 2004 | Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster | Duncan MacGubbin, McIntyre | ||
| 2006 | Cars | Speed Cars | ||
| 2007 | Ratatouille | Damaged Rat | ||
| 2010 | Tangled | Guard | ||
| 2015 | The Prophet | Old Olive Man, Male Villagers |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Gomer Pyle: USMC | Garson | Episode: "PFC Gomer Pyle" | |
| 1967 | The Monkees | Artist | Episode: "Art, for Monkees' Sake" | |
| Get Smart | Brute | Episode: "The Mild Ones" | ||
| 1969 | Mission: Impossible | Captain Anders | Episode: "The Exchange" | |
| 1970–1974 | Mannix | Larry | Episode: "Sunburst" | |
| Bob Greer | Episode: "To Draw the Lightning" | |||
| Dana Croft | Episode: "The Crimson Halo" | |||
| Larsen | Episode: "Picture of a Shadow" | |||
| 1973 | Tenafly | Steve Hall | Episode: "Joyride to Nowhere" | |
| The F.B.I. | Parent | Episode: "Fatal Reunion" | ||
| Kibbee and Fitch | Russell Kibbee | Television film | ||
| 1974–1975 | Cannon | Delaney | Episode: "The Hit Man" | |
| Thomas Lockner | Episode: "The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 1" | |||
| 1974 | The Law | Cliff Wilson | Television film | |
| 1975 | Barnaby Jones | Thomas Lochner | Episode: "The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 2" | |
| 1975, 1977 | The Streets of San Francisco | Robert O'Brien | Episode: "No Place to Hide" | |
| Nick Malone | Episode: "One Last Trick" | |||
| 1976–1977 | The Rockford Files | Richard Stehler | Episode: "The Fourth Man" | |
| Mike Krasny | Episode: "The Dog and Pony Show" | |||
| Charlie's Angels | Bill Duncan | 2 episodes | ||
| 1977 | M*A*S*H | Willie Stratton | Episode: "Souvenirs" | |
| 1978, 1981 | Three's Company | Rama Mageesh | Episode: "Chrissy and the Guru" | |
| Michael | Episode: "Some of That Jazz" | |||
| 1980 | Benson | Petrov | Episode: "Checkmate" | |
| 1980–1981, 1991 | Dallas | Les Crowley | 4 episodes | |
| Pat Connors | Episode: "Farewell, My Lovely" | |||
| 1985 | Remington Steele | Bill Miles | Episode: "Steele in the Chips" | |
| 1986 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | King Edmund Spencer | Episode: "The Boy Who Could Be King" | |
| 1987 | Zorn | Episode: "Encounter at Farpoint" | ||
| 1988 | Hunter | Major Voss | 2 episodes | |
| 1993–1994 | Borum, Drofo Awa | 2 episodes | ||
| 1997–1998 | Earth's Fury (Anatomy of Disaster) | Narrator | Voice | [19] |
| 1999 | Bullet Catchers | |||
| Medal of Honor | ||||
| Mysteries of Asia | [20] | |||
| 1999–2002 | E! True Hollywood Story | |||
| 2004–2006 | Expeditions to the Edge |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Houndcats | Stutz | 13 episodes | |
| 1972 | The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie | Artful Dodger, Fishmonger, Craig Robinson / Tyrano Guard | 2 episodes | |
| 1972–1973 | The New Scooby-Doo Movies | Various voices | 4 episodes | |
| 1973 | Speed Buggy | Mark | 16 episodes | |
| 1977–1984 | Super Friends | Zan, Gleek, Riddler, Lex Luthor, various voices | ||
| 1978 | Jana of the Jungle | Ben Cooper | 13 episodes | |
| 1978 | The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour | Various voices | 4 episodes | |
| 1979 | Scooby Goes Hollywood | Jackie Carlson, Jesse Rotten | Television film | |
| 1979 | The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show | Plastic Man | Main role | |
| 1980 | Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels | Peter | Episode: "The Scarifying Seaweed Secret" | |
| 1981 | Space Stars | Space Ace | 11 episodes | |
| 1981 | The Kwicky Koala Show | George Bungle, Ranger Rangerfield | 3 episodes | |
| 1981 | Trollkins | Grubb Trollmaine | 13 episodes | |
| 1981–1989 | The Smurfs | Grouchy Smurf, Handy Smurf, Lazy Smurf, Johan, various voices | ||
| 1982–1983 | The Incredible Hulk | Bruce Banner | Main role (13 episodes) | |
| 1983–1985 | G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero | Main role | ||
| 1983 | Rubik, the Amazing Cube | Reynaldo Rodriguez | 13 episodes | |
| 1983 | Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends | Doctor Octopus | Episode: "Spidey meets the Girl from Tomorrow" | |
| 1984–1988 | Snorks | Allstar Seaworthy, Bigweed | Main role (65 episodes) | |
| 1984 | Voltron | Lance, Cric, Shannon, Wolo, Madoc, various voices | Main role (122 episodes) | |
| 1984–1987 | The Transformers | Bombshell, Brainstorm, First Aid, Prowl, Scrapper, Sideswipe, Swoop, Dr. Fujiyama, Possum Brown | 54 episodes | |
| 1985–1986 | Galtar and the Golden Lance | Yogoth | 21 episodes | |
| 1985 | Angel of the Lord, Captain, Eliab, Philistine Warrior | 2 episodes | ||
| 1986–1987 | Foofur | Harvey | 16 episodes | |
| 1986–1988 | The Flintstone Kids | Mr. Bad | 7 episodes | |
| 1986 | Inhumanoids | Auger, Blackthorne Shore | 8 episodes | |
| 1986 | My Little Pony | Grogar | Episode: "The Return of Tambelon" | |
| 1987 | DuckTales | Talking Onion | Episode: "Duckworth's Revolt" | |
| 1988 | Superman | 7 episodes | ||
| 1988 | A Pup Named Scooby-Doo | Stinkweed, Boobeard, Boogedy Bones, Manny the Mauler | 3 episodes | |
| 1989 | Cyclops | Television film (pilot) | ||
| 1990 | Sebastian | 11 episodes | ||
| 1990 | Tiny Toon Adventures | Batman | Episode: "Hollywood Plucky" | |
| 1990 | TaleSpin | Colonel Grogg, Mr. Perry, High Marshall's Wife, Herman Grapple | 5 episodes | |
| 1991 | Darkwing Duck | Quackerjack | 12 episodes | |
| 1991–2004 | Rugrats | Chas Finster, Drew Pickles, Grandpa Boris Kropotkin, various voices | Recurring role | |
| 1992 | Goof Troop | Dutch Sparkle | Episode: "As Goof Would Have It" | |
| 1993 | The Addams Family | Buck | Episode: "No Ifs, Ands, or Butlers" | |
| 1994 | Aladdin | Aziz | 4 episodes | |
| 1994 | Captain Grimalkin | Episode: "When Strikes Mutilor" | ||
| 1995 | What a Cartoon! | Dad | Episode: "Mina and the Count: Interlude with a Vampire" | |
| 1995 | Airman Captain | Episode: "Showdown" | ||
| 1996 | Gargoyles | Trooper, Old Man | Episode: "A Bronx Tail" | |
| 1996 | Adventures in Odyssey | Nagle | Episode "Someone to Watch Over Me" | |
| 1996 | The Incredible Hulk | Zzzax | Episode: "Raw Power" | |
| 1996–1997 | The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | Ezekiel Rage, various voices | 6 episodes | |
| 1998–1999 | Oh Yeah! Cartoons | Officer, Onlooker, Twins | 2 episodes | |
| 1998–2000 | Lance, Coran | 25 episodes | ||
| 1999 | The New Woody Woodpecker Show | Toy Shop Owner | Episode: "Pecking Order/Chilly on Ice/Just Say Uncle" | |
| 2001 | Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law | Zan | Episode: "Very Personal Injury" | |
| 2001–2002 | House of Mouse | Pongo | 2 episodes | |
| 2001–2002 | Lloyd in Space | Douglas' Father | 2 episodes | |
| 2002 | Justice League | NTSB Inspector | Episode: "Metamorphosis" | |
| 2003-2007 | All Grown Up! | Chaz Finster | Recurring role; 24 episodes | |
| 2004–2006 | The Batman | Crime Boss 2, Reporter, Guard | 2 episodes | |
| 2005–2006 | W.I.T.C.H. | Crimson, Drake, Mama, Tynar, Althor | 7 episodes | |
| 2006 | Frisky Dingo | Phillip | 3 episodes | |
| 2011 | Duke's Dad (Max Hauser), Guard, Delivery Man | Episode: "Homecoming" | ||
| 2011–2014 | The LeBrons | Additional voices | 23 episodes | |
| 2014 | Community | Duke | Episode: "G.I. Jeff" | |
| 2015–2016 | High Tide, Newsreel Announcer | 5 episodes | ||
| 2017 | Star Wars Rebels | General Jan Dodonna | 4 episodes | |
| 2018 | The Archivist | Episode: "Kral Zera" | ||
| 2018–2020 | DuckTales | Quackerjack | 2 episodes | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Ys I & II | Dark Fact | |||
| 1994 | Bouncers | Fu, Master Fo, Mick, Tank, Zap | |||
| 1998 | Baldur's Gate | Galkin, Gate Warden, Nimbul | |||
| 1999 | Melchiah, Raziel | ||||
| Guts | |||||
| Revenant | Miyamoto, Jhaga, Elahni | ||||
| 2000 | Clifford the Big Red Dog: Thinking Adventures | Traffic People | |||
| General Tyr Taskeen | |||||
| Icewind Dale | Larrel | ||||
| Haer'Dalis, Vittorio | |||||
| Wallace Davidson, Units | |||||
| Bajoran Man, Obanak | |||||
| 2001 | Unit Response Voice | ||||
| Omar Haraad, Vittorio | |||||
| The Druid, Nihlathak | |||||
| Soul Reaver 2 | Raziel | ||||
| Additional voices | |||||
| Gurlukovich Soldiers | |||||
| 2002 | Freedom Force | Merlin, Tochi, Super Samurai | |||
| Dr. Dimitri Sestrogar | |||||
| Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem | Peter Jacob | ||||
| Druids of the Talon, Medivh, Necromancer | |||||
| 2003 | Diekbeck | ||||
| Alter Echo | Echo | ||||
| Grand Chase | Dungeon of Monsters | ||||
| Call of Duty | Sergeant Pavlov | ||||
| Raziel | |||||
| Biker #2, Interview Announcer, Mutant Crab, Protopet Announcer, Security System | |||||
| 2004 | Champions of Norrath | Male Dark Elf Shadowknight | |||
| Ninja Gaiden | Muramasa | ||||
| Galleon | Calverly, Jabez, Treasurer | ||||
| Xenosaga Episode II Jenseits von Gut und Böse | Patriarch | ||||
| Doom 3 | Dr. Pierce Rogers | ||||
| Howell | |||||
| Shark Tale | Additional Tenant Fish | ||||
| The Bard's Tale | Additional voices | [21] | |||
| Comic Narrator, Lawrence, Troopers | |||||
| The Fear | |||||
| 2005 | Shadow of Rome | Julius Caesar | |||
| Rise of the Kasai | Maibisi | ||||
| Madagascar | Nick the Camel, Ostrich 1, Frog | ||||
| Advent Rising | Enorym Tenspur | ||||
| Darkwatch | Cartwright | ||||
| Age of Empires III | John Black | ||||
| Lawrence, Vox | |||||
| 2007 | Ninja Gaiden Sigma | Muramasa | |||
| Clive Barker's Jericho | Governor Cassus Vicus | ||||
| Lost Odyssey | Sed | ||||
| Sergeant Woolard | |||||
| 2008 | Magic Man | ||||
| Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | Additional voices | ||||
| 2009 | Lawrence | ||||
| 2010 | Alpha Protocol | Alan Parker | |||
| 2011 | Lawrence | ||||
| 2012 | Kairozdormu | ||||
| 2013 | Additional voices | ||||
| 2014 | Hearthstone | Medivh | |||
| 2015 | Heroes of the Storm | Medivh | |||
| Scrapper, Sideswipe | |||||
| 2016 | Medivh | ||||
| 2020 | John Black |