Rick and Morty fans have theorized for months over who would replace the show’s co-creator, Justin Roiland, who also voiced the lead characters. Rather than do a big reveal, Adult Swim opted to keep the names of the new voice actors under wraps until season 7 premiered.
Here’s a look at the new voices of Rick and Morty.
Ian Cardoni is the new voice of Rick Sanchez
Ian Cardoni is an actor and producer with minor roles in Grown Ups and Clear History. He was also a narrator in WrestleMania 36 and WrestleMania 37. According to his IMDB page, he grew up outside Boston, MA, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife. His new gig as the voice of Rick Sanchez is by far the most high-profile role he has landed.
Harry Belden is the new voice of Morty Smith
Another relatively unknown actor and producer, Harry Belden, is the new voice of Morty. Like Cardoni, he’s had some minor roles in Joe Pera Talks With You, Chicago Med, and Proven Innocent. Prior to nabbing the role as Morty, the Chicago native’s biggest role before Rick and Morty was as Will in the TV movie Christmas… Again?!
How the new voices of Rick and Morty were selected
While many fans thought Adult Swim would opt for celebrities to voice Rick and Morty, showrunners went in the opposite direction. According to Newsweek, thousands of actors auditioned for the roles over six months. Showrunner Scott Marder admitted the process was harder than he anticipated, telling The Hollywood Reporter:
“Rick was a lot harder than I expected; everyone sounded like Macho Man Randy Savage or like a cousin of his. No one sounded exactly like Rick. It was tricky. People had it in splashes, but once you bring them back in, they couldn’t do it conversationally, which is what we needed. It was exhaustive.”
So far, fans are happy with their casting choice, as both Cardoni and Belden have seamlessly transitioned into their new roles.
Justin Roiland got fired in January
Rick and Morty co-creator and former voice actor Justin Roiland was charged with various domestic abuse charges in 2020, but the news didn’t go public until January 2023. According to Newsweek, Roiland was charged with “domestic battery with corporal injury and false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud and/or deceit.” That same month, Adult Swim fired him and cut all association with him.
The charges were dropped in March 2023, only to make room for new allegations. NBC News released a report in September 2023 accusing Roiland of using his notoriety to pursue young, sometimes underage, fans on social media. One of these fans claimed Roiland sexually assaulted her, which he has since denied. Regardless, it doesn’t look like Roiland’s career will be bouncing back any time soon.