Why The Voice Of Beta 7 From Rick And Morty Sounds So Familiar

Only a series as whacky as "Rick and Morty" could get away with a single-minded alien colony growing jealous over an irresponsible, drunken scientist. But here we are. Featured on Season 2, Episode 3 of the hit Adult Swim animated series, Beta-Seven is a hivemind similar to Rick's (voiced by Justin Roiland) love interest Unity (voiced by Christina Hendricks). Beta-Seven's planet is in alliance with Unity's, but Beta-Seven shows signs of wanting more out of their relationship, even showing jealousy toward Rick after discovering that the mad scientist is dating Unity. However, after Rick and Unity break up, it seems that Beta-Seven has grown closer to her, as he wards off Rick when he tries seeing her again, saying that he is now considered a hostile entity. 

While not given a ton to do in his respective episode, Beta-Seven manages to make an impression through his nervous actions and mannerisms, even referencing the iconic scream from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" when Rick pats him on the back. Similarly, the character's distinct voice will likely have fans wondering where they've heard it before. Well, there's a good chance that they have, as Beta-Seven's voice is provided by none other than Patton Oswalt, whose body of work, especially in voice acting, fans will more than likely recognize.

After doing stand-up for some years and writing on "MADtv," Patton Oswalt landed his first significant long-running television role on the CBS sitcom "The King of Queens." The show follows delivery man Doug Heffernan (Kevin James), his wife Carrie (Leah Remini), and Carrie's demanding father Arthur (Jerry Stiller) who lives with them. Oswalt portrays Doug's nerdy friend Spencer Olchin, more commonly referred to as Spence. 

While Spence is a well-meaning individual, the guy certainly doesn't earn points in the popularity competition. His interests in comics, science fiction, fantasy movies, and anime aren't shared by those in his friend group, while his asthma and allergy to peanuts make his health somewhat fragile. Nevertheless, he is a good and loyal friend, with later escapades alongside Arthur being some of the show's most entertaining moments. 

The character is said to have been based heavily on Oswalt himself, with the actor stating in an interview with Throw Back TV, "I think a lot of the writers use Spence as a kinda outlet for their weirder takes on life."

One of Patton Oswalt's most remembered roles came in 2007 when he was chosen to voice the lead of Pixar's "Ratatouille." In the film, Oswalt portrays a rat with a highly developed sense of smell and taste who yearns to be a cook and gets the chance when he befriends the garbage boy (voiced by Lou Romano) of a famous Paris restaurant. Like many of Pixar's films during the 2000s, "Ratatouille" was met with critical acclaim (via Rotten Tomatoes) and a hearty box office gross of over $623 million (via Box Office Mojo). It also won the Academy Award for the best-animated feature while receiving four additional nominations, including one for best original screenplay (via Oscars). 

Director Brad Bird, who previously helmed "The Iron Giant" and Pixar's "The Incredibles," chose Oswalt for the project after seeing one of the Virginia native's stand-up routines about a Black Angus steak restaurant. Bird tells NPR, "He was so volatile about food and so passionate and funny about it ... but in a good way. I mean, you know, Patton has very strong opinions about anything and he'll let you know, and when he loves something, he loves it, and when he hates something, he hates it. That kind of extreme emotion is perfect for Remy."

Patton Oswalt joined another high-profile computer-animated venture in 2019, where he starred as the voice of Max in Illumination's "The Secret Life of Pets 2." The sequel to the highly successful 2016 film, "The Secret Life of Pets 2" follows the hijinks of Max and Duke (voiced by Eric Stonestreet) as they get accustomed to their owner's new baby and travel to the countryside where they meet the stoic sheepdog Rooster (voiced by Harrison Ford). Those unfamiliar with the animated franchise may be confused as to why Oswalt voices the chipper Jack Russell Terrier in the sequel but not in the first film. Sadly, it wasn't only Oswalt's talents that landed him the role.

Amongst the names being called out during the #Metoo movement in late 2017 was Max's original voice, Louis C.K., who had been accused and admitted to sexual misconduct around several women. As a result, Universal and Illumination decided to cut ties with the actor (via Deadline). Oswalt then took on the job, and the team at Illumination knew he was the perfect fit. As director Chris Renaud tells The Hollywood Reporter, "For Max, sarcasm is a little bit of a defense mechanism, he's very good at it but he also feels a little bit vulnerable in his world. I think Patton can really embody that. He does it in a different way than Louis but he can really nail that sensibility."

Patton Oswalt has been involved in multiple Marvel productions throughout the years — including guest appearing on the TV series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and voicing Pip the Troll during the mid-credit scene of "Eternals." However, in 2021, the actor helped create and lend his distinct voice to the stop motion star of the Hulu series "Marvel's M.O.D.O.K." The show follows the famous Marvel villain, who's name stands for Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing, as he balances his failing career as a super villain and his hectic family life. 

Oswalt voices the titular character and acts as executive producer alongside Jordan Blum. The adult-animated show was part of Hulu's slate of four animated Marvel series, intending to bring all the shows together for a special called "The Offenders" (via The Hollywood Reporter). Oswalt and company found themselves passionate about the material, homaging the more obscure elements of the Marvel universe while paying loving tribute to comic book artist Jack Kirby (via Inverse).

While plans for Hulu's larger universe ultimately went unused, "M.O.D.O.K." was allowed to continue and employed stop motion animation from Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, the same team behind "Robot Chicken" (via Collider). Sadly, "M.O.D.O.K." was canceled after only one season consisting of 10 episodes (via Variety).