Tone Bell

Michael Anthony Bell II, professionally known as Tone Bell, was born on August 10, 1983, in Decatur, Georgia. He pursued his education at Savannah State University, where he studied communications with a focus on radio and television. Following his graduation in 2004, Bell initially worked as a first-grade teacher before transitioning into the entertainment industry. His early career involved production work for HBO’s ‘Warm Springs’ and various promotional roles, including a position as a brand manager with Swivel Media in San Francisco. He later moved back to Atlanta and then to Dallas, where he began performing at open-mic nights, marking the start of his comedy career.

Bell’s career saw a significant turning point shortly after he relocated to Los Angeles. In 2012, he won the NBC Stand Up For Diversity Talent Search, which led to a development deal with the network. This early success propelled him into television roles, including RJ the bartender in the NBC sitcom ‘Whitney’ (2012–2013), and later as Tedward in NBC’s ‘Bad Judge’ (2014–2015). He also appeared in VH1’s ‘Single Ladies’ and Comedy Central’s ‘Key & Peele’ during this period. Beyond acting, Bell hosted the first season of MTV’s hidden camera show ‘Jerks with Cameras’ and developed a web series for Russell Simmons’ YouTube channel, All Def Digital, titled ‘The Green Room.’

His career continued to expand with notable roles in streaming services and films. Bell starred as Carter in the Netflix multi-camera comedy ‘Disjointed’ (2017–2018) and secured a lead role in the CBS comedy pilot ‘Fam’ (2019) as Nick across 13 episodes. In film, he appeared in ‘Dog Days’ (2018), ‘Little’ (2019), ‘Sylvie’s Love’ (2020), and ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’ (2021). More recently, he took on the role of host for the Netflix reality show ‘Drink Masters’ (2022) and stars as Khalil in the Netflix comedy series ‘Survival of the Thickest’ (2023–present). His upcoming projects include the films ‘Trigger Warning’ (2024), ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ (2026), and ‘Transcending’, further solidifying his diverse presence in entertainment.