TVLine has announced in an exclusive article that prior to his death, Johnny Hardwick (Natural Selection, The Monster Hunter) finished working on “a couple” new episodes of Hulu’s revival of King of the Hill. Hardwick voiced Hank’s iconic neighbor – a nicotine-addicted bug exterminator with a knack for conspiracy theories. Hardwick’s character was Dale Gribble.
On August 8, police were called to Hardwick’s home in Texas for a welfare check and discovered him deceased. The cause of death is still unknown, but foul play has been completely ruled out.
Hardwick voiced Dale Gribble for all 258 episodes of the memorably hilarious Fox series. Even though Hardwick was able to complete a few new episodes, it is unclear whether another actor will be brought to King of the Hill to voice Dale Gribble.
Hulu and 20th Television Animation representatives issued a statement that reads, “Johnny Hardwick was an incredibly beloved member of the King of the Hill family, whose tremendous talent, brilliant humor and friendship will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to work with him over the past 25 years. Our deepest condolences go out to his friends and family as we mourn the loss of one of the animation greats. His voice gave life to one of our most iconic characters, and he will be truly missed.”
King of the Hill aired on Fox from 1997 to 2009 and racked up thirteen seasons. Main character, Hank Hill leads the animated comedy series that is based in Arlen, Texas. The revival of the series, set in present day, will take place in the same fictional Texas suburb.
According to TVLine, the revival series is set to be released on Hulu in early 2024.