Rick And Morty: Why Does Rick Sanchez Burp While Talking?

Though "Rick and Morty" has undergone some pretty big changes over the last couple of seasons, the tried and true traits of the central characters haven't changed all that much from their Season 1 forms. Morty (Harry Belden) is still an anxious, insecure teenager who is desperate to please, and Rick (Ian Cardoni) remains as zany as ever, cooking up one wild scheme or adventure after another.

Still, there's a smaller trait of Rick Sanchez that has endured throughout "Rick and Morty." The mad scientist's trademark burps have been around since the start of the series, but it turns out that they may be more meaningful to the nature of the character than fans might have surmised.

Of course, as many have guessed, the routine belches that Rick lets out while talking are likely tied to his regular alcohol use. While the character may be fairly functional as far as addicts go, his burps, along with his seemingly permanent saliva drip, help to suggest that the character's heavy drinking in "Rick and Morty" is indeed affecting his health. Furthermore, Justin Roiland, who voiced the character for the first six seasons of "Rick and Morty," told Creators that it isn't as easy as it seems for him to do Rick's iconic burp-talking.

"I can't burp on command," Justin Roiland admitted to Creators (via Vice). "I have to sit there with a low-calorie beer—or a regular beer, depending on what day it is and what kind of mood I'm in—and a bottle of water and blow air into my stomach ... It's this whole f***ing process; it's disgusting."

All the same, the "Rick and Morty" co-creator seemed to recognize that his belches were a bit too routine in the show's first recording sessions. "The pilot, that was the worst," Roiland recalled. "For some reason, I was like, 'Rick has to burp every f***ing line.' So I was in there for four hours recording Rick, and just swallowing air and doing every single line with a burp take." The voice actor also admitted that he left the studio after that initial session with a bad stomach ache.

Whether series newcomer Ian Cardoni will face the same challenges as Roiland as he voices Rick Sanchez going forward remains to be seen. Still, fans can rest assured that unless the show's central character turns his life around like Barney Gumble (Dan Castellaneta) temporarily did on "The Simpsons," his trademark belch-talking will continue throughout Season 7 and the show's remaining seasons.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).