Kamel was born to a Jewish family and raised in South River, New Jersey, and attended Rutgers Preparatory School. He started his acting career off-Broadway and broke into television with a role in Days of Our Lives as Eric Peters. Kamel had a recurring role on Melrose Place in 1994 as Bruce Teller, the Chief Executive Officer of D&D Advertising, where Amanda (Heather Locklear) and Allison (Courtney Thorne-Smith) were employed. During the first part of the sixth season of Beverly Hills, 90210, Kamel appeared on several episodes as Anthony Marchette, an organized crime figure. Kamel was most recently known for his role as ‘Dr. Charles Kroger’ in the USA Network television series Monk, playing the infinitely patient and ever supportive psychiatrist to the main character, Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub). Though his last appearance was in the sixth season of Monk, clips of his character were seen later in the series finale. On April 8, 2008, Kamel was found dead in his Hollywood Hills home. Police investigators ruled that the cause of death was a heart attack. He was 65. The Monk episode “Mr. Monk Buys a House” was dedicated to his memory. Kamel never married and did not have any children of his own. He was survived by two brothers, Dr. Stephen Kamel (a dentist) and Robert Kamel, five nieces and nephews, and six grandnieces and grandnephews.