Johnny Hardwick Dies: "King of the Hill" Dale Gribble Voice Actor was 64
by Greg Evans
August 10, 2023


Johnny Hardwick, who voiced the conspiracy-minded character Dale Gribble on "King of the Hill", died August 8 at his home in Austin, Texas. He was 64.

Hardwick and his character with the distinctive Texas drawl had been with the Emmy-winning animated series since its debut in 1997 through its final episode on Fox in 2010. Earlier this year, Hulu, where the reruns currently stream, announced that Hardwick would return for the series’ streaming revival.

The actor’s death was confirmed by the Austin coroner’s office. No foul play is suspected, and a cause of death is pending per the coroner’s investigation.

https://deadline.com/2023/08/johnny-hardwick-dead-king-of-the-hill-1235459599/

KOTH dealt with downbeat topics in its original run, including the death of Cotton. Will Luanne, Lucky, and Dale be “killed off”? Or will new voice actors (or artificial intelligence) allow the characters to continue?

Dale Gribble's Greatness Was Summed Up in One King of the Hill Scene (https://www.cbr.com/king-of-the-hill-dale-johnny-hardwick-best-scene/)

Johnny Hardwick made Dale Gribble the most memorable King of the Hill character - and Dale's appeal was affirmed in one Season 9 moment.

King of the Hill's Johnny Hardwick Recorded for Hulu Reboot Before Death (https://www.cbr.com/king-of-the-hill-johnny-hardwick-hulu-reboot-dale/)

A new report claims that King of the Hill voice actor Johnny Hardwick recorded new episodes as Dale Gribble before his death.

Very sad :(

Was Dale Gribble the King Of The Hill character that had his own pest control company? I remember it very well because Dale's van had a huge bug on the roof as his company logo. My mom used to watch King Of The Hill because it was so funny. What a surprise that Johnny Hardwick is gone because I hadn't even heard of him before King Of The Hill began. Had Johnny done voices in other cartoons too

Dale Gribble Defined King of the Hill's Success (https://www.cbr.com/king-of-the-hill-success-johnny-hardwick-dale-gribble/)

Despite his active idiocy, Dale Gribble is one of King of the Hill's most beloved characters. He reflects the show's delicate emotional balancing act.

Being forced to retire major characters because of a main-castmember's death (another being Luanne Platter) will make the King of the Hill revival a disaster.:crying:

Every King of the Hill Episode Written by Johnny Hardwick (https://www.cbr.com/king-of-the-hill-johnny-hardwick-episodes/)

King of the Hill's Johnny Hardwick brought life to fan favorite Arlen resident, Dale Gribble, but he also helped write some standout episodes!

Being forced to retire major characters because of a main-castmember's death (another being Luanne Platter) will make the King of the Hill revival a disaster.:crying:

I was always a huge fan of King Of The Hill. It was one of the handful of animated shows I could constantly enjoy no matter how many times I re-watched it, and it was one of the few revivals I was excited to hear about.

It's really sad to have lost Hardwick (along with Murphy) Between the mention that he already recorded some episodes, and how far AI tech has come I will be curious to see how the streaming version of the series handles things.

Is it plausible that two months after Johnny Hardwick’s death, no one knows the cause?

Is it plausible that two months after Johnny Hardwick’s death, no one knows the cause?

A recent news report said that his death cannot be determined due to “extensive decompositional changes.”

https://nypost.com/2023/11/03/entertainment/king-of-the-hill-johnny-hardwicks-cause-of-death-undetermined-body-too-decomposed/

'It's Hard': King of the Hill Star Shares Update on Revival After Dale Actor's Death (https://www.cbr.com/king-of-the-hill-update-bobby-hill-actor/)

King of the Hill's Pamela Adlon shares an update on the sequel series after the passing of Dale voice actor Johnny Hardwick.

A recent news report said that his death cannot be determined due to “extensive decompositional changes.”

https://nypost.com/2023/11/03/entertainment/king-of-the-hill-johnny-hardwicks-cause-of-death-undetermined-body-too-decomposed/

What a sad situation. It makes me wonder if Johnny had no family or friends looking out for him, or if he was a recluse by nature.

What a sad situation. It makes me wonder if Johnny had no family or friends looking out for him, or if he was a recluse by nature.

Yes, very sad.

I’m not sure of the circumstances, but it was reported that officers found him in his bathtub with the water still running. Decomposition probably went a lot quicker due to bacteria, bodily fluids and what not lingering in the water.