Rick and Morty is now halfway through Season 8 on Adult Swim, and the stars behind the show’s two main characters just shared how much has changed since they joined.
After Adult Swim cut ties with co-creator Justin Roiland during Season 7, new voice actors were brought in for Rick and Morty. Ian Cardoni now voices Rick Sanchez, and Harry Belden plays Morty Smith. But when they joined, production on Season 7 was already far along, making things hectic for the new cast.
In a recent interview with ComicBook, both stars explained that recording Season 7 was rushed and intense. “We were recording several times a week, many hours each session,” Cardoni said. “It was a whirlwind.”
For Season 8, things have been much smoother. With more time to work, the actors were able to experiment with their performances and provide more creative options for each episode. “It felt like a real luxury to have almost a full year to do Season 8,” Cardoni added. “It freed us up creatively.”
Belden recalled that during Season 7, they were matching their voices to finished animation, which made it harder to get the timing right. But with Season 8, they’ve had more flexibility and are recording to early-stage animation called animatics, giving them more freedom to shape their characters.
Even though they still record their lines separately, Cardoni and Belden have built a strong friendship off-screen by meeting fans at conventions. That personal bond helps them imagine the banter and chemistry their characters share on-screen.
Both actors believe that fans will notice the improvement in Season 8, and they’re excited to keep pushing the show forward.
