Michael James Bell grew up in Houston, where he started taking acting classes at the age of six. Among his first roles were Aladdin and the Captain of the Lobsters. Eventually he went to Yale, where he majored in music and theater. Michael has lived and worked in New York City and Los Angeles. He is a dialect specialist. Michael's married name is Michael Ruvinsky. He serves on the board of directors of The Center for Election Science, a nonprofit that strives to make democracy work for everyone. For many years he was the database engineer for MapLight, a nonprofit that tracks the money in American politics.