Michael Bell (actor)

Michael Bell (born July 30, 1938) is an American actor, voice actor, voice director and animal-rights activist who is most active in voice over roles, known for his youthful voice. He has acted in video games and animated series, including The Transformers, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Houndcats, Rugrats, The Smurfs, and Snorks and appeared on-screen in film and television, including the TV programs Dallas and Star Trek. Bell was described as being "one of the most prominent voice actors of the 1980s." Both Bell's wife, Victoria Carroll, and his daughter, Ashley Bell, are actresses.
==Early life==
Michael Bell was born in Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish family.
==Career==
===1970s and 1980s voice work===
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. He followed this with a co-starring role in the Canadian biker film "The Proud Rider" in 1971. 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. From 1977 to 1984, Michael Bell played two of his best-known roles, Zan and Gleek on various Super Friends incarnations. He would also voice The Riddler on Challenge of the Super Friends. 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. It's interesting to note that 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; 
* as Grouchy Smurf, Lazy Smurf, Handy Smurf and Johan in The Smurfs 
* as Autobot Prowl, Scrapper, Sideswipe, Bombshell, First Aid, Swoop, Gort, Brainstorm and Doctor Fujiyama in The Transformers and The Transformers: The Movie
* as Duke, Xamot, Blowtorch and numerous others in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: The Movie
* as Lance & Sven in Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
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.
During this time, the actor also played Hiro Taka on Spiral Zone and Allstar Seaworthy on The Snorks (1984-1989)
===Later voice work===
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, Ixis Naugus on Sonic the Hedgehog 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 G.I. Joe: Renegades, Willy Wachowski on Handy Manny and additional roles in Tangled (2010).
In 2018, Bell reprised his role as Quackerjack on the reboot of DuckTales.
===Video game voice work===
He is also a prolific voice in video games, which include Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, Age Of Empires III, Baldur's Gate, Ratchet & Clank, the character Dark Fact in the game Ys_I_%26_II, and the character Raziel in three games in the Legacy of Kain series, among many others.
===Live-action roles===
His live action film career has included roles in films such as Thunder Alley (1967), Blue (1968), Brother John (1971), Rollercoaster (1977), Fast Company (1979), How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980) and C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. (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 made guest appearances in multiple episodes of the Star Trek series. He also appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint", as Bandi administrator Groppler Zorn, and in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 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.
===Stage roles===
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.
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.
===Voice director===
Bell was the voice director for Kidd Video, Peter Pan and the Pirates, as well as the web series The LeBrons.
==Union activism==
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. The lawsuit was dropped by the plaintiffs several months later.
==Inventor==
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.
==Personal life==
Bell has been married to actress Victoria Carroll since 1984. Together they have a daughter, Ashley Bell who is also an actress. 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 has served on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Local of SAG-AFTRA in 2016 until 2019.
==Filmography==
===Live–action===
* Blue – Jim Benton
* Brother John – Cleve
* Kibbee and Fitch - Russell Kibbee
* The Law - Cliff Wilson
* Benson – Petrov 
* Barnaby Jones – Thomas Lochner (Episode: "The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 2")
* Cannon – Delaney & Thomas Lockner (Episodes: "The Hit Man" and "The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 1")
* Charlie's Angels – Bill Duncan (Episodes: "Target: Angels" and "The Blue Angels")
* Dallas – Les Crowley
* Earth's Fury – Narrator
* Rollercoaster – Chuck Demerest
* Fast Company – Chuck Randall 
* How to Beat the High Cost of Living – Tom
* C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. – Mr. Williams
* Get Smart – Brute (Episode: "The Mild Ones")
* Gomer Pyle: USMC – Garson (Episode: "PFC Gomer Pyle")
* Hunter – Major Voss (Episode: "Dead on Target: Parts 1 & 2")
* Mannix – Larry, Bob Greer, Dana Croft, Larsen (Episodes: "Sunburst", "To Draw the Lightning", "The Crimson Halo", and "Picture of a Shadow")
* M*A*S*H – Willie Stratton
* Mission: Impossible – Captain Anders (Episode: "The Exchange")
* Remington Steele – Bill Miles (Episode: "Steele in the Chips")
* Tenafly – Steve Hall (Episode: "Joyride to Nowhere") 
* Scarecrow and Mrs. King – King Edward Spencer
* Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Drofo Awa, Borum
* Star Trek: The Next Generation – Groppler Zorn
* Three's Company – Rama Mageesh, Michael (Episodes: "Chrissy and the Guru" and "Some of That Jazz"
* Thunder Alley – Leroy Johnson
* The F.B.I. – Episode: (Fatal Reunion) – Parent 
* The Monkees – Sake (Episode: "Art for Monkees") 
* The Rockford Files – NIA Agent Mike Krasny, Richard Stehler (Episodes: "The Fourth Man" and "The Dog and Pony Show")
* The Streets of San Francisco – Nick Malone, Robert O'Brien 
===Animated TV series===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes 	Ref
1982-1983	The Incredible Hulk 	Dr. Bruce Banner, additional voices 	Main Role;13 Episodes 	
1983–1985	G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero 	Blowtorch, Clutch, Duke, Lift-Ticket, Major Bludd, Scrap-Iron, Tollbooth, Xamot	Main Role 	
1983 	Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends	Doctor Octopus 	Ep. "Spidey meets the Girl from Tomorrow"	
1988 	Superman 	Lex Luthor 	7 Episodes 	
1989 	X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men 	Cyclops 	TV Short 	
1991–2004	Rugrats 	Chas Finster, Drew Pickles, Grandpa Boris Kropotkin, additional voices 	Recurring role; 141 Episodes 	
1992–1995	Batman: The Animated Series 	Airman Captain, additional voices 	2 Episodes 	
1994 	Aladdin 	Aziz 	4 Episodes 	
1996 	Adventures in Odyssey 	Nagle 	Episode 9: Someone to watch over me 	
2001 	Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law 	Zan 	Ep. "Very Personal Injury" 	
2001–2002	Disney's House of Mouse 	Pongo 	2 Episodes 	
2002 	Justice League 	NTSB Inspector, Conducter 	Ep. "Metamorphosis" Parts 1 & 2 	
2004–2006	The Batman 	Crime Boss 2, Reporter, Guard 	2 Episodes 	
2006 	Frisky Dingo 	Phillip 	3 Episodes 	
2011 	G.I. Joe: Renegades 	Duke's Dad (Max Hauser), Guard, Delivery Man 	Ep. "Homecoming Part 1" 	
2011–2014	The LeBrons 	Additional voices 	 	
2014 	Community 	Duke 	Episode: "G.I. Jeff" 	
2015–2016	Transformers: Rescue Bots 	High Tide 	5 Episodes 	
2017 	Star Wars Rebels 	General Dodonna 	4 Episodes 	
2018 	Voltron: Legendary Defender 	The Archivist 	Ep. "Kral Zera" 	
2018 	DuckTales (2017) 	Quackerjack 	Ep. "Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!" 	
* The Addams Family – Buck 
* A Pup Named Scooby-Doo – Stinkweed, Boobeard, Boogedy Bones, Manny the Mauler 
* Bonkers – The Collector
* The Brothers Flub – Additional voices
* Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels – Peter, additional voices 
* The New Adventures of Captain Planet – Additional voices
* CB Bears – Chief
* Capitol Critters – Additional voices
* Challenge of the Super Friends – Riddler, Young Lex Luthor
* Commander Cork – Commander Cork
* Darkwing Duck – Quackerjack
* Devlin – Ernie Devlin
* Dink, the Little Dinosaur
* DuckTales – Talking Onion 
* Garfield and Friends
* Tom and Jerry Works – Uncle Pecos
* Gargoyles – Pal Joey, Martin Hacker 
* Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles – Old Man, Trooper 1 
* Goof Troop – Dutch Spackle 
* Foofur – Harvey
* The Freedom Force -Merlin, Tochi/Super Samurai 
* Galtar and the Golden Lance – Yoggoth 
* Inhumanoids – Auger, Blackthorn Shore, Eddie Augutter
* Jana of the Jungle – Dr. Ben Cooper 
* Kidd Video – Additional voices
* Lloyd in Space – Douglas' Father 
* Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone – Sebastian
* Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour – Additional voices 
* Mister T – Additional voices
* My Little Pony – Grogar
* My Smurfy Valentine (TV special)
* Pac Preview Party (TV Special) – Duke, Dash (uncredited) 
* Problem Child – Additional voices
* Quack Pack – Additional voices
* Rambo and the Forces of Freedom – Additional voices
* Robotix – Kontor, Lupus, Traxis, Venturak
* Rubik, the Amazing Cube – Renaldo Rodriguez, Rudy Rodriguez 
* Samurai Jack – Additional voices
* Saturday Supercade – Additional voices
* Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo – Additional voices
* Scooby Goes Hollywood (TV special) – Jackie Carlson, Jesse Rotten, V.P.
* Snorks – Allstar Seaworthy
* Space Stars – Space Ace
* Speed Buggy – Mark
* Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends – Doctor Octopus, Otto Octavius
* Super Friends – Riddler, Zan, Gleek
* Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show – Zan, Gleek
* Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron – Captain Grimalken 
* Talespin – Mr. Perry
* The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie – The Artful Dodger, Fishmonger, Craig Robinson / Tyrano Guard (Episodes: "Oliver and the Artful Dodger: Parts 1 & 2" and "Lost in Space") 
* The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda – Additional voices
* The All-New Super Friends Hour – Zan, Gleek
* The Centurions – John Thunder
* The Dukes – Additional voices
* The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley – Additional voices
* The Flintstone Kids – Mr. Billy Bad
* The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang – Additional voices
* The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible – Additional voices
* The Incredible Hulk – Zzzax
* The Jetsons – Additional voices
* The Karate Kid – Additional voices
* The Kwicky Koala Show – George, Ranger Rangerfield
* The Mork & Mindy / Laverne & Shirley / Fonz Hour – Additional voices
* The New Adventures of Gigantor – Dr. Murkybottom
* The New Adventures of Jonny Quest – Doctor Forbes
* The New Scooby-Doo Movies – Mark, Red Beard, additional voices
* The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries – Yorick, Ghost of Hamlet, Professor Mikos, additional voices
* The Pirates of Dark Water – Additional voices
* The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show – Plastic Man, additional voices
* The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest – Ezekiel Rage
* The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour – Tar Monster, additional voices 
* The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour – Dash, Duke
* The Smurfs – Grouchy Smurf, Handy Smurf, Johan, Lazy Smurf
* The Smurfs Christmas Special (TV special) – Additional voices
* The Smurfs Springtime Special (TV special) – Grouchy Smurf 
* The Super Globetrotters – Additional voices
* The Transformers – Bombshell, Brainstorm, First Aid, Prowl, Scrapper, Sideswipe, Swoop 
* The World's Greatest Super Friends – Zan, Gleek
* Thundarr the Barbarian – Additional voices
* Timeless Tales from Hallmark – Additional voices
* Tom and Jerry Kids – Additional voices 
* Trollkins – Grubb Trollmaine
* Voltron – Lance, Sven Holgersson
* Voltron: The Third Dimension – Lance
* W.I.T.C.H. – Crimson, Drake
* What-a-Mess – Father
===Animated films===
*Scooby Goes Hollywood (1979) - Jackie Carson, Jesse Rotten
*Jetsons: The Movie (1990) - Board Members, Additional Voices
*Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1993) - Ferdinand, Straycatchers
*The Rugrats Movie (1998) - Drew Pickles, Boris Kropotkin, Chaz Finster
*Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) - Chaz Finster, Drew Pickles
*Rugrats Go Wild (2003) - Drew Pickles, Chaz Finster
*Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster (2004) - Mcintyre, Duncan MacGubbin
*Rugrats Tales from the Crib: Snow White (2005) - Chaz Finster, Archer
*Cars (2006) - Additional Voices
*Tangled (2010) - Additional Voices
===Video games===
* Advent Rising – Enorym Tenspur
* Age of Empires III – John Black
* Alter Echo – Echo
* Alpha Protocol – Alan Parker
* Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits – Diekbeck
* Baldur's Gate – Galkin, Gate Warden, Nimbul
* Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn – Haer'Dalis, Vittorio
* Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal – Haer'Dalis, Omar Haraad
* Blazing Dragons – Librarian Pureflame 
* Champions of Norrath – Male Dark Elf Shadowknight
* Call of Duty – Sergeant Pavlov, additional voices
* Clive Barker's Jericho – Governor Cassus Vicus
* Condemned 2: Bloodshot – Magic Man
* Darkwatch – Cartwright
* Diablo II: Lord of Destruction – The Druid class, Nihlathak
* Doom 3 – Dr. Pierce Rogers
* Emperor: Battle for Dune – Unit Response Voice
* Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem – Peter Jacob
* Freedom Force – Merlin, Tochi/Super Samurai
* Galleon – Jabez, Calverly, Treasurer
* Grand Chase – Dungeon of Monsters
* Hearthstone – Medivh
* Heroes of the Storm – Medivh
* Icewind Dale – Larrel
* Legacy of Kain: Defiance – Raziel
* Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – Melchiah, Raziel
* Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 – Raziel
* Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII – Additional voices
* Lost Odyssey – Sed
* Madagascar – Nick the Camel
* Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa – Additional voices
* Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – Russian Soldier
* Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – The Fear
* Narc – Supplier, Thug, Cop, Jumper #2, Bum
* Ninja Gaiden – Muramasa
* Ninja Gaiden Sigma – Muramasa
* Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time – Lawrence
* Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One – Lawrence
* Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando – Biker #2, Interview Announcer, Mutant Crab, Protopet Announcer, Security System
* Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal – Comic Narrator, Lawrence, Trooper #1, Trooper #2
* Ratchet: Deadlocked – Lawrence, Vox
* Rise of the Kasai – Maibisi
* Shadow of Rome – Julius Caesar
* Shark Tale – Additional Tenant Fish
* Shellshock: Nam '67 – Howell
* Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix – Dr. Dimitri Sestrogar
* Star Trek: Armada II – Additional voices
* Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Fallen – Obanak, Wraith Obanak, Bajoran Man
* Star Trek: New Worlds
* Star Trek: Starfleet Command
* Star Trek: Starfleet Command: Volume II: Empires at War
* Star Wars: Force Commander – Gen. Taskeen
* Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage – Guts
* The Bard's Tale – Finstown Villager, Light Fairy, additional voices
* Transformers: Devastation – Sideswipe, Scrapper
* Universe at War: Earth Assault – Sergeant Woolard
* Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos – Medivh, Druids of the Talon, Necromancer
* World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria – Kairozdormu
* World of Warcraft: Legion – Medivh
* Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse – Patriarch
* Ys I & II – Dark Fact
==Crew work==
===Voice director===
* Kidd Video - Casting and voice director
* Peter Pan and the Pirates - Voice director
* The LeBrons
Category:1938 births
Category:Living people
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male video game actors
Category:American male stage actors
Category:American casting directors
Category:Voice directors
Category:Jewish American male actors
Category:Male actors from New York City
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:People from Brooklyn
Category:American inventors
Category:Animal rights activists
Category:Activists from New York (state)