Here's How Ice-T Really Felt About His Rick And Morty Shoutout
While zipping through the annals of time, space, and the considerable effort to turn one into a pickle, "Rick and Morty" have encountered many wild characters voiced by even more amazing guest stars. From Taika Waititi to Christina Hendricks, the show has boasted an array of impressive VIPs in the recording booth, showing just how much clout the wubalubadubdub-ing pair have nowadays. Interestingly, one of the most notable meta characters that ever turned up in the "Rick and Morty"-verse had every reason to be voiced by just such an icon, only to be voiced by someone else entirely.
In the show's fifth episode of its second season, "Get Schwifty," Rick and Morty are tasked with showing what they've got when a giant alien head demands Earth provide them with entertainment. Thankfully, the two manage to deliver the titular song with the help of none other than Ice-T, who reveals himself to be a member of an alien race, The Alphabeterians, in disguise. While fans may have numbed themselves to reading a plot thread as inconceivable as that, the wildest thing about the whole episode is that he sounded remarkably like the man himself. With that in consideration, how does the legendary rap star-turned staple of the serial crime drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" feel about being Earth's last hope and a giant block of ice? Unsurprisingly, he's pretty chill about the whole thing.
Ice-T loves his Rick and Morty appearance — even if it wasn't really him
Sometimes celebrities only catch wind of being mentioned in something long after it's aired. In the case of Ice-T and his unofficial "Rick and Morty" debut, it was a fan's reaction that alerted to him appearing as a gun-toting, T-shaped hero. Naturally, Ice-T put the creation of that version of himself down to one thing, and one thing only, taking to Twitter with the simple declaration that "this happens with cartoonists after lots of drugs.... [F******g] crazy!!"
As crazy as it was, it seems that Ice-T gained a soft spot for his indirect appearance on the show over the years, chiming in on Twitter once again, writing, "I got a lotta love from my 'Rick and Morty' appearance!" Given such admiration for his portrayal in the animated form, what would be the odds of him making a legit visit on the show? More importantly, who precisely voiced Ice-T in the first place?
Dan Harmon wants Ice-T in the future of Rick and Morty
While some were fooled thinking that Ice-T voiced a super cool alphabet letter, it turns out that this particular version was brought to life by the show's creator and the man responsible for breathing life into both Rick and Morty, Dan Harmon. Besides voicing a cranky old scientist and his plucky, panicking grandson, Harmon also tucked away a finely tuned impression of Ice-T that he added to cover for the famous rapper. The quality was enough for fans to beg for a comeback and for the character to be voiced by the genuine article this time around.
Thankfully, as revealed in an interview from 2018 (via Inverse), Harmon didn't take it to heart and has wanted Ice-T to make an appearance for quite some time. "I love Ice-T and it would be a fantasy come true to have him come and do Ice-T or Water-T or any other character," he admitted. "He could be Vice President or whatever. It would be great to work with him sometime. I love his voice. That's why I do a dumb impression of it."
While his brief time stepping into the shoes of the aforementioned star wasn't as bad as he made it sound, Harmon took his shot and put a call out to the powers that be (and the man himself) for a dream come true. "Ice-T, this is my personal appeal to you. Please come do a voice for 'Rick and Morty.'"