Masato Hirano is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator. He was born on November 16, 1955, in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. He is affiliated with the talent management firm Aoni Production.

Hirano's path to performance began in his high school years when he was inspired by a stage play. He moved to Tokyo after graduation to study drama at Tama Art University. Initially, he pursued a career as a stage actor, joining the Literary Theatre Company. Around the age of 30, he shifted his focus to voice acting, a move that would define his professional life.

His career in anime spans from the 1980s to the present, during which he has voiced a vast array of characters. Among his many roles, he has portrayed numerous characters in the long-running One Piece series, including Ippon-Matsu and Topman Warcury, one of the Five Elders. He is also known for his work in the Dragon Ball franchise, providing the voice for the character Neiz in Dragon Ball Z: The strongest guy in the world and the soldier Piano. In the world of Saint Seiya, he voiced the character Hydra Ichi.

Hirano is particularly well-known among fans of the Transformers franchise for his contributions to several series in the 1980s. His roles include Hardhead in Transformers: The Headmasters, multiple characters in Transformers: Super-God Masterforce such as Phoenix, Turtler, and King Poseidon, and both Drillhorn and Kakuryu in Transformers: Victory. Other notable roles from his extensive filmography include Kharock in the film Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, Hans in the world masterpiece theater series The Dog of Flanders, and the recurring role of the yokai Abura-Sumashi in various installments of Gegege no Kitarō. He also voiced Kamon Oohashi in Shinshaku Sengoku Eiyū Densetsu - Sanada Jū Yūshi The Animation. In the OVA series Legend of the Galactic Heroes, he played the role of More.

Beyond anime, Hirano's work includes dubbing foreign films and television series, as well as narration for various programs and commercials. He has also contributed his voice to video games, such as Xenosaga Episode I, and tokusatsu superhero shows like Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger and Mahou Sentai Magiranger.

Hirano is also an educator, serving as a lecturer for the voice actor course in the broadcasting department at Osaka University of Arts. He maintains a strong connection to his roots, acting as an ambassador for his hometown of Hachimantai City and specializing in the Nanbu dialect of his native Iwate Prefecture. He is also a devoted student and performer of the traditional folk tales from the Tono region.