The characters that make up the universe of Rick & Morty come in a wide variety of flavors. Rick is egomaniacal and eternally heartbroken, Morty can be childish and sharp-witted, and the rest of the cast follow similar personality principles. The show’s success is largely due to its bizarrely self-referential narrative, none of which makes sense out of context.
However, the voice actors behind the faces of Rick & Morty characters deserve a large chunk of the credit as well. Unfortunately, there are a few voice actors who, while immensely talented, don’t quite hit the right tone while playing their respective roles.
10 Nailed Their Role: Justin Roiland’s Vocal Tics And Inflections Define His Characters
Not only did Justin Roiland co-create Rick & Morty, but he also voices a number of characters on the show. He is best known for his roles as Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith (as well as Mr. Poopybutthole).
Roiland’s vocal performances have been widely recognized as central to the success of the series, particularly because of the trademark tics and inflections he employs to give his characters a unique flavor. Rick’s slurred, halting speech pattern and Morty’s bewildered stuttering help define both their personas.
9 Fell Short: Dan Harmon’s Birdperson Isn’t As Strongly Developed As The Main Cast
Dan Harmon came up with the concept for Rick & Morty along with Justin Roiland, taking the idea from a series of animated shorts Roiland created to spoof Back to the Future. The series pilot and first season were so successful that the show was renewed by Adult Swim almost immediately.
Harmon is the voice behind Birdperson, Rick’s best friend and most loyal ally. This character, although imbued with great potential, isn’t as strongly developed as the main cast. That said, Harmon hits the nail on the head with Birdperson’s deadpan style of expression.
8 Nailed Their Role: Sarah Chalke’s Beth Smith Undergoes A Series Of Major Transformations
Sarah Chalke is best known for playing various characters on sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother, Roseanne, and, of course, Scrubs. Chalke does the voice for one of Rick & Morty‘s main characters, Beth Smith.
Chalke captures Beth’s initial marital indifference mixed with a need for parental approval with pinpoint precision, taking the character on a long and complicated journey from season to season. Chalke’s Beth undergoes multiple transformations in the story, and each of them creates a significant change to her character’s arc.
7 Fell Short: Kari Wahlgren’s Jessica Deserves A Little More Consistency In Her Character Arc
Kari Wahlgren is famous for lending her vocal talents to dozens of TV programs, including Phineas and Ferb, The Fairly OddParents, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, among others. In Rick & Morty, Wahlgren handles the role of Jessica W., Morty’s love interest at Harry Herpson High School.
Jessica was nominally dismissed in earlier seasons, and although her relevance is gradually growing, her character arc deserves a bit more consistency than it presently gets. Perhaps if Jessica is further built out as a character, Wahlgren will get to really show off her voice performing skills.
6 Nailed Their Role: Susan Sarandon Demonstrates Her Vocal Ingenuity As Dr. Wong
A veteran actor and household name, Susan Sarandon is known mostly for her roles on TV and in film. She has been nominated for dozens of awards, from Oscars and Golden Globes to Emmys and BAFTAS, winning several.
Sarandon’s vocal ingenuity gives voice to Rick & Morty‘s resident family therapist, Dr. Wong. First appearing in the classic episode “Pickle Rick,” Sarandon delivers Dr. Wong’s sensible advice in a warm, non-judgmental tone, a far cry from her other better-known characters, such as Bette Davis in Feud.
5 Fell Short: Phil Hendrie Doesn’t Get Enough Opportunities To Explore Principal Vagina
Phil Hendrie, the creator and star of the classic radio series, The Phil Hendrie Show, voices Gene Vagina (no relation), Harry Herpson High’s eccentric principal. Hendrie’s lustrous voice acting career stretches back decades, including Futurama and King of the Hill. However, his role in Rick & Morty is practically pointless.
Principal Vagina’s allegedly funny last name aside, Hendrie doesn’t get many opportunities to use his ample talents to explore this potentially vivid character. Maybe in some future episode, fans will get to see more of the character, but at this point, there simply isn’t enough screentime for him.
4 Nailed Their Role: Spencer Grammer’s Summer Smith Is The Sassiest Presence In The Show
Summer Smith is one of Rick & Morty‘s seminal characters. The older sister of Marty, she enjoys being a typical teenager but is more than happy to help her grandpa with his projects when necessary. Voiced by Spencer Grammer, Frasier star Kelsey Grammer’s daughter, Summer is the sassiest presence in the show.
She’s among the few people who can put Morty in his place, as well as someone who Rick respects (a very rare accomplishment). To say that Grammer nails her role is an understatement.
3 Fell Short: Tom Kenny’s Squanchy Is Memorable, But Not Very Impactful
Tom Kenny is widely recognized for his masterful voice acting in series like CatDog, Johnny Bravo, The Powerpuff Girls, and Rocko’s Modern Life, to name a few. His greatest role is arguably SpongeBob SquarePants, Nickelodeon’s iconic underwater fry cook.
Kenny’s amazingly adaptable vocal signature is obviously his greatest weapon, but it doesn’t seem to have enough impact as Squanchy in Rick & Morty. Kenny’s work as Million Ants, the colony of red ants that joined the superhero team The Vindicators, is slightly more dynamic, though.
2 Nailed Their Role: Chris Parnell Maintains Jerry Smith’s Unbearable Cringiness For Five Seasons
Chris Parnell has been in the acting game for a long time. His career on SNL illustrates his remarkable versatility, as do his roles on 30 Rock as Dr. Leo Spaceman, and voicing Cyril Figgis on Archer.
Parnell is probably the only voice actor who can successfully maintain the unbearable cringiness of Jerry Smith for five seasons straight. Jerry’s vocal register is borderline grating on most occasions, but Parnell is capable of modulating his character’s whiny tone in a way that makes viewers actually care about him.
1 Fell Short: Rob Paulsen Doesn’t Have The Space To Display His Impressive Voice Acting Skills
Rob Paulsen is a distinguished voice actor — his artistic range covers series as diverse as TMNT, Pinky and the Brain, and The Mask. With hundreds of animated characters under his belt, it’s more than evident that Paulsen’s flexibility is extraordinary.
On the other hand, his characters in Rick & Morty, which includes Snowball and Regular Legs, are limited by their own narratives. Paulsen unfortunately hasn’t been given a character who shows up on a more consistent basis, which means he doesn’t have the space he needs to display the full extent of his vocal talents.
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