Less than a month ago, the world was treated to the new voice actors who would play the titular characters in “Rick and Morty.” The first episode of season 7th has released, and we know who the actors are. Not only that, but thanks to co-creator Dan Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder, we know how they moved along with the casting process.
First, let’s give credit where credit is due. The new voice actor for Rick is Ian Cardoni. The role of Morty is now voiced by Harry Belden. Previously, both characters were played by co-creator Justin Roiland. His termination from the show for allegation of domestic abuse (and later other allegations) was clearly going to create some problems in terms of how to move forward with the characters. According to Harmon and Marder, the goal with continuing the series was to make any transition as seamless as possible.
So what did that entail? Well, for starters it meant trying to find voice matches for both characters. This meant trying to find two actors, one for each part, as the odds of finding one person who could match both was a bit of a stretch. Additionally, this could prove to be a bit of a benefit for the production as voice acting is demanding on a person’s vocals, and Roiland’s voice was getting “worn down,” according to Marder.
Marder notes the audition process went on for six months across thousands of potential actors. Ultimately, Cardoni and Belden were selected because of their ability to match the characters as closely as possible, across different emotions, scenarios, and conversations. Harmon admittedly removed himself from the process as much as possible, partly because of emotional conflict but is happy with the results of the casting process.
As for the creative process of the show, neither Marder or Harmon see anything affecting it with regards to Roiland’s departure. The duo state that they had already written well into the future and that Roiland’s departure was fairly inconsequential in terms of the story and writing. They also feel like the new blood, so to say, has added a level of enthusiasm to things since both Cardoni and Belden are extremely excited to have been selected for the show.
With SAG-AFTRA still on strike, guild members are not permitted to give interviews regarding struck projects, so we’ll have to wait until a resolution is reached before hearing from them.
The first episode of season 7 of “Rick and Morty” with the new voices premiered on October 15th, 2023 and will continue to air on adult swim.
