Justin Roiland
Quick Facts
Biography
Mark Justin Roiland (born February 21, 1980) is an American voice actor, animator, writer, producer, director and comedian. He is best known as the co-creator of Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, of which he voices the show's titular characters. He is also the creator of Hulu's Solar Opposites, in which he voices the main character, Korvo, and is also known as the voice of the Earl of Lemongrab on Adventure Time and Blendin Blandin on Gravity Falls. He is the founder of the animation studio Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions! and the video game studio Squanch Games.
Early life
Roiland grew up on an almond orchard 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.
Career
He eventually moved to Houston, Texas, and in early 2004, 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".
He now works as a voice actor, including voicing the titular characters of Rick and Morty, for which he is also co-creator, co-writer and executive producer with Dan Harmon. In addition, he has voiced several other characters in Rick and Morty. Since 2010, he has co-hosted The Grandma's Virginity Podcast with Rick and Morty writer, Ryan Ridley, and Steven Universe producer, Jackie Buscarino. He stated at the Rick and Morty panel at San Diego Comic-Con International 2014 that one of his main influences was Pendleton Ward and that he enjoyed watching The Ren & Stimpy Show as a child. In his interview to The Rolling Stone he stated that he enjoys making cartoons and games as it lets him do all the work in his apartment, without a need to leave his house.
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 Dec. 19. In 2017, he, Alex Hirsch, and Ethan Klein raised over $200,000 for hurricane relief via Twitch live stream in which he prank called the Lakewood Church in Houston. In February 2019, Roiland co-hosted YouTuber PewDiePie's show "Meme Review" with Elon Musk under the request of PewDiePie's fans.
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Annie Award | Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Rick and Morty | Nominated | |
2017 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Animated TV Show | Rick and Morty | Nominated | |
2018 | Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Animated Series | Rick and Morty | Won | |
Annie Award | Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Rick and Morty | Won | ||
Saturn Award | Best Animated Series or Film on Television | Rick and Morty | Nominated | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Animated TV Show | Rick and Morty | Nominated | ||
Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Animated Program | Rick and Morty for "Pickle Rick" | Won |