Michael Shapiro

Michael Shapiro (born c. 1966, also known as Mike Shapiro) is a voice actor for the Half-Life series. He also provided voice acting to other video games, such as Blood II: The Chosen (for which Kathy Levin and Lani Minella also provided a voice).

Of Jewish ancestry, he also performed voice work for the television, in some feature films, and is an acclaimed theater director. He has also directed many TV sitcoms.

With Harry S. Robins, Shapiro is one of the few voice actors who has done voice acting for all of the Half-Life games.

Half-Life and its expansions

 * Black Mesa security guards (both Barney and Otis NPCs)
 * The G-Man
 * Nihilanth (verified in its speech sounds and by changing the speed of its grunting sounds)
 * HECU soldiers (when they actually chat together) (with Harry S. Robins) (Half-Life)
 * Black Mesa scientists (with Harry S. Robins)
 * Male Black Ops (with Harry S. Robins) (Opposing Force)

Half-Life 2 and its episodes

 * Barney Calhoun
 * The G-Man

Film, television and video game work
Shapiro's on-screen roles include Lovers Lane (1999 film) in which he portrayed Deputy David Schwick and The Shadows of Bob and Zelda in which he portrayed Bob. He has done mostly voice work, having narrated the TV series Interpol Investigates and voiced the psychotic French chef Richard Goblin in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. As a writer he has written for Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Discovery Channel and NPR. He has also worked extensively with comedy writer Rob Kutner.

Directing career
As a director, Shapiro has directed the film "A Problem With Sharks" which screened widely in the U.S. and internationally. He has also directed the TV pilot, "Family Values", which was selected in the New York Television Festival.

Theater
Shapiro has performed in shows like Camelot and Dracula. He himself has also directed many theater productions. He helped launch the Annex Theatre in 1987. Most recently, he has performed in the 2012 productions, Eavesdropping on Dreams and Motel Cherry.

Personal life
Shapiro lived in Seattle until moving to Brooklyn, New York in 2000. He is married to fellow director, Peggy Stafford, and has two children.