Many may think that voice acting is a lot easier than performing in front of a camera. However, not all live action actors are voice actors for a reason. While there are certain skills needed to be a voice actor, such as being able to change their voice for different characters (like Seth MacFarlane or Tom Kenny) or being able to still evoke emotion just from what they say and how they say it, it also is a huge help when they have a unique and distinct voice.
Rick and Mortyis an animated show that constantly has guest stars voice for new characters. Some notable guest stars include Paul Giamatti, Patton Oswalt, andKey and Peele’s own Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele. In season 6, another all-time great actor of this generation made a special appearance on the show,Game of Thronesalum Peter Dinklage. The episode ofRick and MortyDinklage starred in parodied a certain classic action movie from the 1980s, and Dinklage, with his crisp baritone voice, played the parody version of none other than the iconic villain.
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What Is Peter Dinklage’s Rick and Morty Role?
Dinklage lent his voice to the Adult Swim animated series inseason 6, episode 2, titled, “Rick: A Mort Well Lived”. In this episode, Rick, Morty, and Summer pay a visit to the enormous galactic arcade Blips and Chitz where Morty decides to play the gameRoy: A Life Well Lived(which the title of the episode altered). While inside the immensely immersive game, a group of terrorists takes over the arcade in search of the facility’s money.
When the terrorists invaded the arcade, the power went out and came back on all while Morty was still playingRoy, and so his brain split into every NPC character in the game. Naturally, Rick takes it upon himself to get all the NPCs out of the game in order to save Morty who, if the game were to end, would lose his entire consciousness and thus die.
Meanwhile, Rick leaves Summer in charge of fighting off the terrorists, telling her to “do aDie Hard”, referencing the 1988 classic of the same name starring Bruce Willis as John McClane where he takes down a group of terrorists that have taken over a New York City hotel. InDie Hard, the terrorists have a leader named Hans Gruber,played by the late Alan Rickman. In “Rick: A Mort Well Lived”, the leader’s name is Chans (pronounced like Hans), and he’s voiced by Peter Dinklage. The entire plot of Summer’s story in this episode is adirect parody ofDie Hard, with Summer acting as John McClane.
One of the aspects that madeDie Hardsuch a fan favorite –and many “hero” movies for that matter– was the iconic portrayal of a villain by Alan Rickman. Rickman’s casualness to his terrorism made his character so much more frightening as he didn’t hesitate to kill hostages or give in easily to the law. Not to mention, his deep, menacing voice played a huge role in his character’s demeanor.
Thus,Rick and Morty’s co-creator Dan Harmon, who has referenced his affection forDie Hardas a film for its characters and good storytelling technique, had to find someone who could come close to sounding like Rickman to play his version of Hans Gruber. Peter Dinklage seemed to be an obvious choice as his voice is so naturally deep, and he has experience playing with both playing a villain and in voice acting.
In “Rick: A Mort Well Lived”, Dinklage’s character, Chans, is not only the terrorist leader, but he too is a huge fan of theDie Hardfranchise, having written several books on the movies. Summer, however, has never seen the movie. Throughout the episode, Chans is trying to predict every one of Summer’s next moves by looking at McClane’s actions in theDie Hardmovies. The episode utilizes key aspects from the first movie, like Summer and Chans talking on walkie-talkies, Summer taking out the terrorists one by one by sneaking through vents, and the classic gun taped to her back in the end when Chans is finally defeated.
DInklage was the perfect choice because of his resemblance to Rickman’s deep voice, but also because he has dabbled in comedies himself, with roles in movies likeElfandDeath at a Funeral.
What Are Peter Dinklage’s Upcoming Roles?
Dinklage is probably most known for his role as Tyrion Lannister in HBO’sGame of Thrones. But his acting record is far more vast than that. Dinklage has also starred inAvengers: Infinity War,Pixels,The Station Agent,Rememory, and the 2021 filmCyrano, among many other projects.
As for the future for Dinklage, there are a few notable upcoming films that he is confirmed to be in, one of which he is the lead star. Coming out very soon,Dinklage will star as Winston Goozein the superhero comedy remake,The Toxic Avenger. Then, later in 2023, Dinklage willplay the role of Casca Highbottomin the highly anticipated prequel film,The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which will chronicle a young President Snow as his journey to power is only beginning.
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