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.