Michael Bell (actor)

Michael Bell (born July 30, 1938) is an American actor, voice actor, voice director and animal-rights activist[1] 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.

Michael Bell
Bell at the 2015 Retro Con
Born (1938-07-30) July 30, 1938
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Occupation
  • Actor
  • voice actor
  • voice director
  • animals-rights activist
Years active1956–present
AgentAVO Talent
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1984)​
ChildrenAshley Bell
Websitewww.michaelbellvoices.com

Early life

Michael Bell was born in Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish family.[2]

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.[3] 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;

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.[4]

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 & 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.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7] The lawsuit was dropped by the plaintiffs several months later.[8]

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.[9][10][11][12][13]

Personal life

Bell has been married to actress Victoria Carroll since 1984.[14] Together they have a daughter, Ashley Bell who is also an actress.[15] 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.[16]

Filmography

Live–action

Animated TV series
YearTitleRoleNotesRef
1982-1983The Incredible HulkDr. Bruce Banner, additional voicesMain Role;13 Episodes
1983–1985G.I. Joe: A Real American HeroBlowtorch, Clutch, Duke, Lift-Ticket, Major Bludd, Scrap-Iron, Tollbooth, XamotMain Role
1983Spider-Man and His Amazing FriendsDoctor OctopusEp. "Spidey meets the Girl from Tomorrow"
1988SupermanLex Luthor7 Episodes
1989X-Men: Pryde of the X-MenCyclopsTV Short
1991–2004RugratsChas Finster, Drew Pickles, Grandpa Boris Kropotkin, Mr. Mucklehoney, Doctor, Jonathan Witt, Mr. Snow, Mike, Artist, Lawyer #1, Mad Scientist, Mailman (1), Tina, Announcers (1), Manager (1), Big Bottle, Barker, Manager (2), Ace, Security Guard, Reptar (3), Dr. Schachter, Jonathan (2), Golfers, Sailor, Fat Man, Harry, Audience Members, Dept. Store Santa, Mission Control, Wedding Guest, Man #1, Ed, Voice (2), Announcer (5), Delivery Man (1), Les, Roberto Mazatlan, Sal (1), Thorg (2), Spike (Chuckie's Dream), Dog Warden, Mr. Mcdermott, Press, Clown (2), Salesman (1), Garbage Man (2), Weatherman (3), PA Announcer, Maintenance Worker, Judge #2, Clowns, Awards HostRecurring role; 141 Episodes
1992–1995Batman: The Animated SeriesAirman Captain, additional voices2 Episodes
1994AladdinAziz4 Episodes
1996Adventures in OdysseyNagleEpisode 9: Someone to watch over me
2001Harvey Birdman, Attorney at LawZanEp. "Very Personal Injury"
2001–2002Disney's House of MousePongo2 Episodes
2002Justice LeagueNTSB Inspector, ConducterEp. "Metamorphosis" Parts 1 & 2
2003-2007All Grown Up!Chas Finster, Grandpa Boris Kropotkin, Shop Owner, Cop, Martin Costomiris, AnnouncerRecurring role; 24 Episodes
2004–2006The BatmanCrime Boss 2, Reporter, Guard2 Episodes
2006Frisky DingoPhillip3 Episodes
2011G.I. Joe: RenegadesDuke's Dad (Max Hauser), Guard, Delivery ManEp. "Homecoming Part 1"
2011–2014The LeBronsAdditional voices
2014CommunityDukeEpisode: "G.I. Jeff"
2015–2016Transformers: Rescue BotsHigh Tide5 Episodes[17]
2017Star Wars RebelsGeneral Dodonna4 Episodes
2018Voltron: Legendary DefenderThe ArchivistEp. "Kral Zera"
2018DuckTales (2017)Quackerjack2 Episodes

Animated films

Video games

Crew work

Voice director

References
  1. Golden, Lori (December 1999). "Michael Bell: A Voice for Animals On and Off the Screen". The Pet Press.
  2. Kang, Inkoo (August 22, 2013). "Ten Fascinating Facts from Slimed!, the new Oral History of '90s Nickelodeon". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  3. "The Proud Rider at IMDb.com (retrieved 7 January 2018); "The Proud Rider at Letterboxd.com (retrieved 7 January 2018)
  4. "An Interview with Michael Bell". The Incredible Hulk 1982 Cartoon Webpage. November 2004.
  5. Koehler, Robert (September 16, 1988). "Stage Review Ladies of the Camellias Matches Duse, Bernhardt at West End". Los Angeles Times.
  6. "Stage News & Notes". The Daily News of Los Angeles. December 9, 1988.
  7. Handel, Jonathan (February 27, 2012). "SAG/AFTRA Anti Merger Lawsuit Drops Demands". The Hollywood Reporter.
  8. Verrier, Richard. "SAG-AFTRA merger opponents to drop lawsuit". The New York Times.
  10. "GRAYWAY ROTATING DRAIN - Graywater Recycling Device". graywayrotatingdrain.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018 – via archive.org.
  11. "Grayway FAQ". members.aol.com:80/graywaydrain2003. Archived from the original on 18 November 2003. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  12. "Melanie Chartoff is also an inventor". Record-Journal. 1992-09-28. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  13. "United States Patent: 5274861 - Gray water recycling system". uspto.gov. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  14. Lisanti, Tom (September 25, 2007). "Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood: Seventy-Five Profiles". McFarland. ISBN 9780786431724. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
  15. "Ashley Bell". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  16. "Local Board". SAG-AFTRA.
  17. "Turning the Tide". Transformers: Rescue Bots. Season 3. Episode 18. April 11, 2015. Discovery Family.
  18. "Michael Bell". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 23 January 2021. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of the title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  19. InXile Entertainment. The Bard’s Tale. InXile Entertainment. Scene: Ending credits, 2:10:13 in, More Great Talent.
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