Never in a million years would you ever place Rick and Morty and Who Framed Roger Rabbit in the same category; one is a raunchy and meta adult-animated comedy series, the other is a beloved fantasy comedy from the ’80s. There’s absolutely no comparison to be made between these two, and yet… there is. It was Who Framed Roger Rabbit‘s 35th anniversary on June 21, so understandably, news feeds and timelines were flooded with appreciation posts for Roger (Charles Fleischer), Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), and the original bombshell, Jessica Rabbit (Kathleen Turner).
Oh, and speaking of Kathleen Turner, if that name sounds familiar to you Gen Alphas, that’s because she also voiced a character in Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty. And there’s the unlikely connection, you see? In fact, Turner’s voice acting career is impressive in general. For her efforts in live-action, the 69-year-old has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards.
If you’re wondering who she voices in Rick and Morty, that would be an unnamed character known as the Monogatron leader’s Wife, appearing in the second episode of the fourth season, “The Old Man and the Seat.”
If you need us to jog your memory, that was the episode in which Jerry meets Glootie, a businessman and Monogatron who coerces him into developing an app. Jerry being, well… Jerry, he ignores the giant tattoo on Glootie’s forehead that reads “Do not develop my app” and… develops the app. As it turns out, Glootie works for the Monogatron leader, who seeks to steal Earth’s water supply using Jerry’s dating app, LoveFinderrz, as a distraction. There’s a hilarious interaction between the Monogatron leader and his wife, in which she scolds him for attempting world domination and they bicker back and forth, allowing Rick and Morty to escape.
Although it’s a minor role in the grand scheme of things, Turner still manages to turn a few lines of dialogue into one of the series’ most memorable interactions. It’s no Jessica Rabbit, but a stint on Rick and Morty must have been game-changing for her. As for her other memorable works, Turner has voiced several other animated characters in shows such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, and King of the Hill. Some of her most iconic live-action roles include Romancing the Stone, Peggy Sue Got Married, and The War of the Roses.
In addition to her acting career, Turner is a chairperson for Planned Parenthood of America, one of John Kerry’s first celebrity endorsers, a frequent donor to the Democratic party, and has even worked to raise awareness for rheumatoid arthritis.
Time to rewatch two drastically different projects from one of Hollywood’s biggest names.