Wubba Lubba dub-dub! There’s no denying that Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty is one of the best animated TV shows aimed at adults. Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon continue to push the envelope on the show, resulting in a fantastically weird cartoon that pokes fun at pop culture, science and philosophy. They took what began as a fairly raunchy comedy short for Harmon’s Channel 101 called The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti and turned it into one of the most intelligent cartoons ever made.
Rick and Morty is able to hide sincere philosophical and intellectual ideas behind some genuinely decent fart jokes. And as Rick-diculous and indecorous as it can be from time to time, the show remains incredibly sharp in both its humor and the subject matter that some episodes delve into. So it should come as no surprise that all manner of celebrities have wanted to lend their voices to some of the characters that Rick and Morty meet along the way in their inter-dimensional travels. Plus, Roiland already voices both Rick and Morty so it’s good that he gets a break every now and then.
Here are 15 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Voiced Characters On Rick And Morty.
15. Beta-Seven - Patton Oswalt
In the season two episode “Auto Erotic Assimilation”, Rick reunites with an old flame named Unity who– as it happens– is a hive-mind being that’s able to take over entire planets. Rick falls back into the unhealthy destructive relationship they once had and parties a little too hard with the assimilated population.
During the episode, a neighboring hive-mind community named Beta-7 drops in for a trade visit. The Borg-like assimilated race has a thing for Unity but is a bit too nebbish for their liking. Voicing this timid homage to the villainous Star Trek cyborg species is comedy powerhouse Patton Oswalt.
Oswalt’s voice works really well in the context of the episode playing Beta-7 as a hopeful nerd wishing Unity will notice their similarities and appreciate them as much as they do (pronouns are tough with a hive-mind race of people). He’s such a good contrast to Rick’s overbearing and aggressive nature that the show’s producers could not have picked a better voice for the role.
14. General Nathan - Kurtwood Smith
Everyone has known or, at least, met someone with a voice that just oozes authority. The kind of voice that is just asking to be listened to without question. When the showrunners needed someone for a no-nonsense character named General Nathan in the episode “Get Schwifty”, they turned to an actor with that kind of voice.
Kurtwood Smith is most famous for his role as Red Forman That ’70s Show. In Rick and Morty that same fatherly authority is undeniable as the general, attempting to act as the voice of reason who doesn’t quite understand why the Cromulons need a hit song performed or why Rick’s lyrics could be so darn appealing.
Considering Kurtwood Smith is also known for his characters in RoboCop and the dystopian sci-fi prison movie Fortress, one can only hope the creators work in some parody of his other work so this isn’t the last time he lends his voice to the show
13. The Guetermans - Tricia Helfer and James Callis
In the second season finale “The Wedding Squanchers”, we’re left with a cliffhanger showing Rick imprisoned for some awful deeds he (or another inter-dimensional Rick) has committed.
This all comes after a rather in-depth deep-cover sting operation organized by the Galactic Federation. It turns out that Summer’s friend Tammy Gueterman was an under-cover agent who infiltrated their lives by becoming involved with (and eventually engaged to) Birdperson in order to get closer to Rick. At Tammy and Birdperson’s wedding, audiences are briefly introduced to Tammy’s “parents” Donna and Pat Gueterman, who are also Galactic Federation agents.
Should you find that their voices are familiar and work a bit too well in a situation where people’s real identities and motivations are ambiguous, then you probably watched a little too much Battlestar Galactica. The Guetermans’ voices are provided by James Callis, who played Dr. Gaius Baltar on BSG, and Number Six herself, Tricia Helfer. The Guetermans are also drawn to look just like the actors who voice them.
12. Leonard Smith - Dana Carvey
Everyone, at some point in their lives, has been embarrassed by a family member Thankfully, it’s rarely as severe as what Jerry Smith has to endure when his parents drop in and over-share their very close and unorthodox sexual relationship with their new friend Jacob. Leonard Smith is entirely too free with the details of his voyeurism which, predictably, makes Jerry quite uncomfortable. Thankfully, the audience doesn’t have to spend too much time with the thought that this could be anyone’s parents, since the other events of the “Anatomy Park” episode are a welcome distraction.
What may surprise some is that this quick appearance of Jerry’s father is voiced by none other than comedy legend Dana Carvey. It’s a role that no one would think twice about if voiced by anyone else, but Carvey’s involvement sheds more light on the character.
Leonard Smith, for better or worse, may make audiences a bit suspicious of any new young friends their parents make in the twilight of their lives.
11. The President - Keith David
If you’re going to have a general with an imposing voice such as Kurtwood Smith’s, then the person he reports to better have one that’s even more authoritative. The President in Rick and Morty is only a seen a few times but is memorable thanks to being voiced by Keith David.
David’s deep, velvety voice is a joy to hear in any of his roles, but here audiences are treated to a character unafraid of the craziness that usually follows Morty and his grandfather’s adventures. This results in some oddly satisfying dialogue where David, reciting his lines in a completely serious tone, ends up being one of the more humorous parts of the “Get Schwifty” episode.
One can only wonder, much like Kurtwood Smith’s film career, if the minds behind Rick and Morty have more reference-heavy parts for David’s character in the future. It’s not a stretch to imagine the show doing episode with plots similar to They Live or The Thing (beyond using it as the jumping off point for “Auto Erotic Assimilation”).
10. Prince Nebulon - David Cross
Season one episode “M. Night Shaym-Aliens!” is a layered adventure of simulations and questioning reality. It’s also the episode where David Cross gets to show off his voice talents by playing Prince Nebulon of the Zigerion Scammers.
Dead-set on attaining Rick’s recipe for Concentrated Dark Matter, Nebulon and company trap Rick and Morty inside a few simulations in order to try and trick them into giving it up. This, of course, doesn’t work and Rick is able to outsmart them with his superior intellect and occasional nudity.
The Zigerions appear to all suffer from a condition where nudity of any sort results in severe anxiety (a real condition called gymnophobia). So what better person to voice the Zigerion leader than the original “never-nude” himself! Cross played Tobias Fünke on Arrested Development, who famously suffered from a similar affliction and was unable to ever be completely naked. It’s perfect casting choices like this that give Rick and Morty so much more depth than other cartoons.
9. Alien Doctor - Gary Cole
What do you do when you sneak a few bites from someone else’s ice cream and accidentally ingest some dangerous mutant bacteria? Well, you head to the best damn hospital in the entire galaxy, St. Gloopy Noops.
Once there, you’ll be treated by the best medical professionals and– if you’re lucky– one of them might sound exactly like actor Gary Cole. Most may associate Cole with the droning boss-like tone of Office Space’s Bill Lumbergh but he’ll do all he can to help you at St. Gloopy Noops.
When Jerry Smith found himself in this exact situation in “Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate” it was a good thing Rick knew where to take him. Once he was healed, though, the doctors approached Jerry with a unique offer to save someone’s life that involved removing his most personal of body parts.
It’s hard to believe that Jerry’s illness and operation are actually the sub-plot of the episode as a way to introduce more interdimensional cable TV nonsense.
8. Lucius Needful - Alfred Molina
Lucius Needful (a.k.a. The Devil) plays a big part in the episode “Something Ricked This Way Comes” and is voiced by Doctor Octopus himself, Alfred Molina. The episode is filled to the brim with nods to various “deal with the devil” themes from fiction. From the name of Needful’s store (Needful Things) as a nod to the Stephen King book and the episode’s title which pays homage to the Ray Bradbury novel Something Wicked This Way Comes.
There’s something distinctly sinister in the way Molina portrays the Devil’s voice that works perfectly in the episode about cursed items. It’s a bit of a bummer it seems to have been a one-off cameo. With his well-rounded acting chops, Molina could play any part, but he truly shines when he plays villains because of the way he’s able to make them relatable, and even downright likable.
Those who remember Disney’s 1983 film adaptation Something Wicked This Way Comes may notice Mr. Needful’s striking resemblance (in design and supernatural powers) to the character Mr. Dark.
7. Scroopy Noopers - Nolan North
Some might not recognize the name Nolan North or his face from the picture above, but it’s very probable that you’ve heard his voice at some point. He’s provided a few voices on Rick and Morty, but most notably the scientist son of Plutonian Royalty, Scroopy Noopers.
For anyone not placing the character, know that North’s voice work is extensive, as he he’s provided dozens of voices for film, TV, and a massive amount of video games. North is the voice of Nathan Drake from Uncharted, Penguin in the Batman: Arkham games, Deadpool in almost all video game and animated appearances, Desmond Miles from Assassin’s Creed, Superboy and Superman in the Young Justice TV show and games, and too many voices to count in any iteration of DC LEGO games. The list goes on and on… and on.
North’s voice work is absolutely everywhere else, so playing a rebel Plutonian environmental scientist actually fits in quite nicely with the rest of his resume.
6. Fourth-Dimensional Beings - Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele
Season two’s first episode (“A Rickle in Time”) swung for the fences in terms of confusing plot devices. In it, Rick, Morty, and Summer basically break time, which ripples into multiple fractures all with slight differences. Turns out that when you break something like time itself, there are people you need to answer to.
Well, by “people” we actually mean eternal fourth-dimensional “testicle monsters” that exist outside of time as we know it. One of these creatures (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) shows up to set time straight and take the three time offenders to, you guessed it, time prison.
Rick and his grand kids eventually set things– more or less– back to normal, but not before giving Key’s fourth-dimensional being the beating of whatever constitutes as a lifetime for a timeless being.
In the after-credits scene, Key’s time agent meets up with a co-worker (voiced by comedy partner Jordan Peele) to settle the score and seek out Rick through time. They end up mistaking Albert Einstein for Rick and beat him up to “teach him a lesson for messing with time.” Einstein collects himself and it’s shown this beating is what motivated his theory of relativity.
5. Shrimply Pibbles - Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog has had quite a long and respectable dramatic and documentary film career, and in recent years it seems like he made a decision to branch out into other things, like comedy.
In some, he remains the intimidatingly weird man that most would assume he is in real life, with characters like “The German” in 2007’s The Grand or his quick cameo in an episode of Parks and Recreation. However, where Herzog really shines is in his voice work, having taken some strange roles in a number of animated shows. He’s done voices on The Boondocks, Metalocalypse, Penguins of Madagascar, American Dad!, and even The Simpsons. However, his role on Rick and Morty might be his weirdest yet. Herzog voiced the most influential civil rights leader in the entire galaxy, Shrimply Pibbles.
The heroin-dependent alien is a patient at St. Gloopy Noops Hospital in need of a new heart that– oddly enough– can be fashioned from Jerry Smith’s penis. Herzog’s character, ever the noble alien, monologues about how much Earth men value their penises and understands Jerry’s apprehension to donate it.
4. Unity - Christina Hendricks
Rick Sanchez is a strange character. His incredible intelligence is matched only by his ability to be condescending to almost everyone he meets. And while the show has never given us a glimpse of the relationship he had with Beth’s mother, audiences have seen the kind of being Rick is attracted to.
We meet one of Rick’s old flames, Unity, in the episode “Auto Erotic Assimilation” and it somehow makes sense he’d be attracted to an alien hive-mind species capable of assimilating entire planets. But things never turn out well when Unity, voiced by Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), and Rick get together.
The two are equal parts in an unhealthy coupling, which can get confusing if you try to figure out how an entirely assimilated planet can be one half of a destructive relationship. Unity ultimately decides to be the bigger person (or planet of persons) and leaves Rick when she/him/it/they realize that their relationship is unhealthy.
In a note, she explains that they can’t be together because Rick– without even trying– is better at being a hive-mind capable of taking over someone’s entire life.
3. Dr. Xenon Bloom - John Oliver
Of all the impossible things that happen on Rick and Morty, the events of “Anatomy Park” are some of the best for concept, pop culture references, and guest voices. John Oliver lends his voice to the character of Dr. Xenon Bloom, who is an anthropomorphic genius amoeba and co-founder of the microscopic theme park inside a homeless man named Ruben.
The episode is an obvious parody of Jurassic Park, with Oliver’s Bloom as a tiny analog to JP’s founder John Hammond. Yet, it seems Rick and Bloom spared every expense, because Anatomy Park is falling apart due to Ruben’s poor health and the multiple diseases that plague his body.
The episode mirrors many aspects of Jurassic Park down to the– dare we say– microscopic detail, with the park failing due to exhibits getting loose and running amok. With diseases attacking everyone, Ruben’s body decaying, and the clock ticking on their escape, Oliver’s trustworthy British accent works to amplify just how ridiculous every moment of the episode is.
2. Fart - Jemaine Clement
Jemaine Clement has portayed many, many oddball characters over the years, but none are as odd as the gaseous alchemic musical cloud named “Fart.”
Clement’s character is from another dimension dead-set on “curing” carbon based lifeforms of their existence. We only learn of this after an adventure where Morty seeks to save Fart’s life and ends up leaving trail of destruction and dead bodies in their wake. Along the way, audiences are treated to a song performed by Fart, called “Goodbye Moonmen.” The song is sung by Clement and is reminiscent of a David Bowie song or, at very least, similar to the Flight of the Conchords song “Bowie’s In Space.”
Fart meets his demise by the end of the episode so it’s doubtful we’ll see the character again in the future. Unless, of course, Fart’s race comes looking to finish what he started and are similarly voiced by Clement and– one can only hope– Conchords comedy partner Bret McKenzie.
1. Zeep Xanflorp - Stephen Colbert
Before his late-night hosting duties, and even before his time as a correspondent on The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert was a part of some of the strangest comedy being made. He was a writer on the short-lived Dana Carvey Show and had a recurring role on the odd-ball– and very underappreciated– Strangers with Candy. So Colbert was probably right at home voicing a character on Rick and Morty.
Knowing how cocky Rick Sanchez can be, there’s no better voice than Colbert’s to take on the role of super-genius Zeep Xanflorp. Zeep is part of the world that lives inside Rick’s Microverse Battery, and came to a lot of the same conclusions about how to power things. Zeep creates a similar Microverse Battery of his own, which leads Rick to feel threatened by his intelligence.
The shows creators have even commented on how Colbert’s Xanflorp is basically the perfect nemesis for Rick; a Khan-like villain for future adventures who’s aware of Rick’s crueler side.
Did you catch all of these celebrity guest voices on Rick and Morty? Are there any we missed? Sound off in the comments!
