Justin Roiland

Justin Roiland
Mark Justin Roiland (born February 21, 1980) is an American voice actor, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known as the co-creator of Adult Swim's animated sitcom Rick and Morty, for which he formerly voiced the protagonists Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith, and as the co-creator of Hulu's Solar Opposites, in which he voiced the main character, Korvo, until both networks severed ties with him in 2023. He had also played Earl of Lemongrab on Adventure Time, Blendin Blandin on Gravity Falls, and Oscar on Fish Hooks. He founded the animation studio Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions! and the video game studio Squanch Games, though he resigned from the latter in 2023.
In early 2023, Roiland was dismissed from most of the companies he was working with due to accusations of domestic violence and abuse. The charges were later dismissed due to insufficient evidence, but in September 2023, new allegations of sexual assault were reported against him.
Early life
Roiland was born and raised in Manteca, California. He attended Sierra High School up until the first quarter of his senior year and then transferred to Manteca High School for the remainder of his senior year, graduating in 1998. After high school, he attended Modesto Junior College in Modesto, California. Roiland is dyslexic. In a 2015 podcast interview, Roiland alleged that he was sexually assaulted by a cousin at age 7. Roiland is Jewish.
Career
Roiland got involved with Channel101, an L.A. media collective started by Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab, where he made and acted in numerous movie shorts (such as 2 Girls One Cup: The Show, House of Cosbys and a small role as musician Christopher Cross in the series Yacht Rock) and in the VH1 television show Acceptable TV. He appeared regularly on The Sarah Silverman Program on Comedy Central as "Blonde Craig". From 2010 to 2016, he co-hosted The Grandma's Virginity Podcast with future Rick and Morty writer, Ryan Ridley, and future Steven Universe producer, Jackie Buscarino.
In 2012, Adult Swim approached Harmon to produce a new animated series for their network. Harmon approached Roiland and together, they created Rick and Morty (based on Roiland's previous work for Channel 101, "The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti") which debuted in 2013 to widespread acclaim. The show quickly grew a fan community as audiences praised the show for its unique storytelling and incorporation of science fiction elements. Between 2013 and 2022, Roiland voiced Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith. In addition to the voice work, Roiland served as a co-writer and executive producer alongside Dan Harmon. By the end of season 1, Rick and Morty became one of the most successful shows Adult Swim ever produced. The success of the show spearheaded an entire franchise, with various themed merchandise being produced and sold. In addition to the show, an app called "Pocket Mortys" was created. On August 25, 2016, Roiland launched virtual reality studio Squanchtendo, a portmanteau of the company Nintendo and Rick and Morty character Squanchy. It was later renamed to Squanch Games. Its first full-length title, Accounting+, made in collaboration with William Pugh's studio, was released for PSVR on December 19, 2017.
In January 2021, Roiland offered over a dozen artworks in his first NFT art collection, titled "The Best I Could Do". His highest-selling piece was by his Simpsons homage The Smintons, sold at $290,100. The collection sold for a total of $1.65 million. Roiland also sold his first painting, titled mypeoplefriend, via auction by Sotheby's in July 2021. On October 31, 2022, Roiland released a generative NFT project named "Art Gobblers" with Paradigm Ventures.
Controversies
Accusations of violence and abuse
In August 2020, Roiland was arrested and charged with felony domestic battery and false imprisonment in Orange County, California, in connection with an alleged incident in January 2020 involving an unnamed woman he was reportedly dating at the time: the charges were later found during the relevant legal proceedings to be baseless and subsequently dropped due to a lack of evidence. Roiland was released on bail after pleading not guilty, and a pre-trial hearing was scheduled for April 27, 2023. Knowledge of these events was not publicised until NBC News reported on the matter in January 2023.
After the charges were announced, multiple people came forward with their own allegations of abuse by Roiland in the #MeToo movement, including claims on Twitter of predatory behavior towards minors. Accusations involving adults include a private message he sent to musician Allie Goertz, who was at the time working on a Rick and Morty concept album, and said "Can you write a song about 9 Dick's of different sized [sic] and ethnic origins hanging above your face, and then in the lyrics describe how they each splatter you with semen." He was also accused of sexual harassment of a female writer on the third season of Rick and Morty and other uncomfortable behavior in the workplace; these claims were formally investigated by Cartoon Network and Adult Swim in 2020.
Adult Swim announced later that month that Roiland had been dismissed from Rick and Morty, and that his roles would be recast for future seasons. Squanch Games affirmed that Roiland had resigned from the company on January 16, 2023, in the wake of the Adult Swim news. On January 25, 20th Television Animation confirmed that he had also been removed from Solar Opposites and Koala Man, which will also continue to be produced without his involvement.
In March 2023, the criminal charges against Roiland were dismissed due to insufficient evidence. He released a statement on social media saying he is "determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name". Following this announcement, his lawyer, T. Edward Welbourn, thanked the Orange County District Attorney's Office for "conducting a thorough review of the facts" and dismissing the case, adding that he was "thankful justice has prevailed".
Sexual assault allegations
On September 13, 2023, NBC News reported that more allegations, this time about sexual assault, and communicating explicitly online with underage girls had been reported, with some dating back to 2013. Roiland's lawyer, Andrew Brettler, responded to the allegations and called them "false and defamatory."
Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon responded to the allegations on September 27, 2023, and said that he was "ashamed and heartbroken".
Filmography
Film
Television
Web
Video games
In August 2016, Roiland set up a video game studio, Squanchtendo, which was later renamed to Squanch Games in December 2017.
Awards and nominations
References
External links
The Grandma's Virginity Podcast
Cartoons, Comics, and stuff by Justin Roiland
1980 births
Living people
2023 controversies in the United States
Actors with dyslexia
American actors with disabilities
American animators
American cartoonists
American comedy writers
American illustrators
American male film actors
American male screenwriters
American male television actors
American male television writers
American male video game actors
American male voice actors
American people of Norwegian descent
American satirists
American surrealist artists
American television directors
American television producers
American television writers
American writers with disabilities
Animators from California
Annie Award winners
Male actors from California
Manteca High School alumni
People from Manteca, California
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Screenwriters from California
Showrunners of animated shows
Television producers from California
Television show creators
Writers with dyslexia
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male artists
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American screenwriters