Justin Roiland

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. Roiland is dyslexic.

Career

In 2002, Roiland moved to Houston, Texas and, in 2004, got involved with Channel 101, 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. Some of Roiland's influences include The Simpsons, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Beavis and Butt-Head, and Invader Zim.

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 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.

Allegations

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. 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 publicized 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 sexually explicit private message he sent to musician Allie Goertz, who was at the time working on a Rick and Morty concept album. Earlier, he had been 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 and were not reported until 2023.

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

In September 2023, NBC News reported that allegations of 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 new allegations against Roiland on September 27, saying that he was "frustrated, ashamed and heartbroken that a lot of hard work, joy and passion can be leveraged to exploit and harm strangers", referring to the many accusations reporting Roiland had used his fame and wealth to exert pressure on underage girls and young women.

Filmography

Film

Television

Television crewmember

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

References

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