Michael Bell is an American actor with a prolific career in voice-over, recognized as one of the most prominent voice actors of the 1980s. His voice work spans from the 1970s into the 21st century, encompassing numerous animated series, films, and video games.

Bell's entry into voice acting began in the 1970s with roles such as Stutz in The Houndcats and Mark in the Hanna-Barbera series Speed Buggy. He became a staple of animated entertainment during this decade, voicing characters like Zan and Gleek in various Super Friends incarnations and providing the voice for the title character in The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show.

The 1980s marked a period of significant productivity for Bell, during which he starred in several hit animated series simultaneously. He voiced multiple characters in The Transformers, including the Autobot Prowl and the Dinobot Swoop, and appeared in The Transformers: The Movie. In G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, he was the voice of the heroic Duke, as well as the villainous Xamot, a role he reprised for G.I. Joe: The Movie. He also took on numerous roles in The Smurfs, such as Grouchy Smurf, Lazy Smurf, and Handy Smurf. In the series Voltron: Defender of the Universe, he voiced both Lance and Sven. His role as Lance extended to the 1986 television special Voltron: Fleet of Doom, which brought together the casts of the show's two storylines. During this era, he also voiced Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk animated series and Allstar Seaworthy on The Snorks.

Bell continued to work extensively in subsequent decades. From 1991 to 2004, he voiced three recurring parent characters on the long-running series Rugrats and its spinoff All Grown Up!: Drew Pickles, Charles Finster Sr., and Boris Kropotkin. Other notable roles include Quackerjack in Darkwing Duck, a part he later reprised for the 2018 DuckTales reboot, as well as Aziz on Aladdin and Ezekiel Rage on The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.

In addition to his television and film work, Bell is a prolific voice actor in the video game industry. His credits include the character Raziel in three installments of the Legacy of Kain series, the Fear in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and roles in major franchises such as Baldur's Gate, Diablo II, Warcraft III, and Ratchet & Clank.

Beyond performing, Bell has also contributed to the industry as a voice director, with credits including Kidd Video and Peter Pan and the Pirates. His extensive body of work, particularly during the 1980s, has cemented his legacy as a foundational figure in American animated television.