Buckle up your seatbelts and get ready for another multi-dimensional trip! Rick and Morty returns to Adult Swim with even crazier misadventures and out–this-world shenanigans.
Spearheading the show is scientific genius and alcoholic sociopath Rick Sanchez and his less-than-capable but mentally sane 14-year-old grandson Morty Smith. Together, they travel portal to portal all in the good name of fun while accidentally triggering numerous, heinous crimes across the universe.
Season 6 of Rick and Morty will premiere on Adult Swim on September 4, 2022, at 11 p.m. ET/PT. The sixth season is part of a long-term deal made in 2018 when the show is given a 70-episode order over an undisclosed number of seasons. The new season of Rick and Morty promises grander antics and even more surprising twists.
Here’s who’s playing who in Rick and Morty.
Justin Roiland as Rick Sanchez
Justin Roiland plays Rick Sanchez, the questionable main protagonist of Rick and Morty and the mega genius scientist grandfather of Morty. Recognized as the smartest human in the universe, Rick’s intelligence is both impressive and scary. He has a strong understanding of complex scientific mechanisms and churns out high-tech machines like they’re toys. From helmets that enhance your brain activities, portals that transport you to alternate dimensions, and cloning devices, Rick’s scientific aptitude, and experience are years beyond today’s modern scientists.
Unfortunately, Rick’s cleverness is overshadowed by his nihilistic personal views and damaging alcoholism. Add his unchecked mental health problems and family issues to the mix, and you have yourself the ultra mad scientist that is Rick Sanchez. His reckless behavior is the cause of multiple heinous acts that occur throughout the show, leading Rick to become a huge antagonist during certain situations. All his inner demons aside, contrary to popular belief, Rick doesn’t have a heart of stone. True, he may have controversial takes on conventional life situations. But underneath the cruel lunacy of his antics, Rick is not completely emotionless. He feels a lot, but he simply doesn’t know how to express them.
When it comes to his grandson Morty, Rick can be over-controlling of the poor boy. The scientist treats him more like a personal assistant, tagging Morty along to help out with his crazy adventures. Even though Morty might not live up to Rick’s expectations, and causes more harm than good instead, Rick genuinely values the time they both spend together going from one shenanigan to another. And if Morty doesn’t have the time to go with him, Rick scoots in and frees up whatever obligations the boy has.
Besides voice acting, Roiland is also the co-creator of Rick and Morty. He’s also the co-creator and the lead voice actor for Hulu’s Solar Opposites. His other voice acting work includes Adventure Time’s Earl of Lemongrab and Gravity Falls’ Blending Blandin.
Justin Roiland as Morty Smith
Justin Roiland also plays Mortimer “Morty” Smith Sr., the younger half of the comical grandpa-grandson duo that is Rick and Morty. As Rick’s unlucky grandson, Morty usually has no choice but to follow Rick as they go on their risky escapades. When he’s not busy entertaining his grandpa’s tomfoolery, Morty goes to Harry Herpson High School along with his sister, Summer Smith. At 14 years old and just on the brink of puberty, Morty is introduced as a submissive teenager who has deep-rooted anxiety. However, all that changes when Rick suddenly appears at his home after not being present in the family for 20 years.
At school, Morty is shown to have difficulty catching up and is sometimes described as a “challenged” individual. While his intelligence is a huge running gag, especially compared to his grandpa’s genius intellect, Morty is shown to develop a quick understanding of complex scientific concepts - provided Rick explains them thoroughly. Despite what he considers his “weaknesses”, Morty is willing to lend a listening ear, making him a perfect sidekick to keep Rick on the ground (or try to). In the face of danger, Morty has proven to dig up the courage and show a grand display of bravery, going so far as to lead escape efforts in an intergalactic galaxy.
As Rick’s unintentional sidekick, Morty sees Rick more as a best friend than a grandfather. This isn’t surprising, considering the last time Rick communicated with his family was 20 years ago. Morty usually calls Rick on a first-name basis and rarely does he address him as “grandpa”, unless it’s out of gratitude or if Morty wants something. While he typically gets pushed around by Rick, Morty does have his limits, and will not hesitate to go against Rick if he feels he has had enough. Morty’s dynamic story arc and character development make him one of the most entertaining and relatable characters to watch in Rick and Morty.
Sarah Chalke as Beth Smith
Sarah Chalke plays Beth Smith, the daughter of Rick Sanchez and the mother of Morty Smith who works as a veterinarian at the St. Equis Hospital. During the day, Beth is a talented veterinary horse surgeon and serves as the main breadwinner of her family. While she is good at what she does, her insecurities defer her from feeling like an “actual” veterinarian, and therefore, not a “real” doctor”. The wife of Jerry Smith, Beth has a hard time approaching their marriage due to her superiority complex, which stems from her husband’s lack of contributions to the relationship and his lower-level employment position, as well as abandonment issues caused by her father’s 20-year absence.
Just like Rick, Beth is equally intelligent and has grand ambitions of her own. Sadly, she’s weighed down by her insecurities. She also has unorthodox views on emotional vulnerability and dependence and abhors them to a certain degree. However, unlike her father, she tends to show a greater sense of compassion and love on certain occasions. Her number one priority is her family, although that dedication sometimes strains her and makes her reconsider her marital choices.
The reason why Beth chooses to stay with Jerry is partially due to her abandonment issues. Jerry just so happens to be the only man who’s stuck with her through thick and thin. Even though they both would sacrifice anything for the family’s wellness, the two constantly butt heads over the methods used to achieve these common goals. Beth expresses that she is not a fan of Jerry’s ideas, and sometimes she feels her vision is not appreciated enough by her husband. Another recurring conflict is Rick’s living conditions at home, which often become the source of their marital tension, with Beth justifying her father’s wacky actions.
Chalke is famous for playing Elliot Reid in the hit NBC/ABC series Scrubs, followed by her role as Stella Zinman in How I Met Your Mother. Her voice acting accolades extends to Netflix’s Paradise PD.
Spencer Grammer as Summer Smith
Spencer Grammer plays Summer Smith, the daughter of Beth and older sister of Morty. Originally not involved in the duo’s misadventures, Smith soon becomes more involved in their antics as the series progresses. Summer is the poster child of your typical American teen girl: she craves high school popularity, is addicted to her cell phone and social media, and wishes her family could be normal for once.
Summer deeply cares for her family and is sometimes jealous of the attention Rick gives to her younger brother Morty. Rick initially wants to keep Summer away from him, but in later episodes, we see Summer and Rick going on random trips of their own. Funnily enough, despite not spending as much time as Morty with her grandfather, she has a better understanding of Rick’s struggles - possibly because of the maturity that comes with her older age.
Summer may not have the science whizz in her blood, but she does have a high degree of intelligence like her grandpa and mom. Compared to her brother, she’s much smarter and quick-witted, reacting swiftly to life-or-death situations when fighting by Rick’s side. Another common trait she shares with her grandfather is her narcissism and sociopathic tendencies, which she is very much in tune with. She doesn’t back down from a fight and has proven to be someone who can stand on her two feet - independent just like her mom.
Prior to Rick and Morty, Grammer played Casey Cartwright in the comedy-drama show Greek. She had her first acting role as a child in the long-running show Cheers.
Chris Parnell as Jerry Smith
Chris Parnell plays Jerry Smith, the father of Morty and Summer as well as Summer’s husband. Jerry and Beth initially met in high school, and on their prom night, they had unprotected sex. The result? Their first child and only daughter, Summer. Shortly after, the pair tied the knot and had their second child three years later, Morty. Because of their accidental teen pregnancy and early marriage, the two feel as if they’ve missed out on a lot of opportunities in life. Because of this, Jerry has a strained relationship with his wife. And don’t even get us started with Rick, who automatically becomes Jerry’s father-in-law. But despite his resentment towards Rick’s antics, he lets him join the family since he’s Beth’s father.
It’s hard to not pin Jerry as the “loser” of the show. He doesn’t have any long-term career plan, who means his wife must serve as the breadwinner of the family. And since Rick’s arrival, Jerry feels he has to compete with him just to receive his wife’s attention. But even with his rocky marriage, and Rick undermining his role as the family’s patriarch, Jerry loves Beth and his family very much. Even though he’s not as smart as Rick, Jerry lives a slightly happier life compared to him, which is why Beth is willing to stay with him.
When adversity hits, Jerry can come across as meek and cowardly. He’s considered the weakest link as he has a bad habit of quitting and staying passive. But when desperate times call for desperate measures, Jerry isn’t afraid to pick up every ounce of heroism in him and face his fears, especially if his family is at stake.
A former cast member on Saturday Night Live, Parnell continued his acting career on 30 Rock as Dr. Leo Spaceman and Doug on FOX’s Family Guy.
