'King of the Hill' Voice Actor Johnny Hardwick Dead at 64
Johnny Hardwick, the voice actor best known for his work on King of the Hill, has died. He was 64 years old.
The news reported by TMZ on Thursday, Aug. 10 comes after law enforcement sources told the outlet that authorities were called to do a welfare check at Hardwick's home in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, Aug. 8. His body was discovered at the home, and Hardwick was pronounced dead at the scene.
Deadline later confirmed the news with the Austin coroner's office. No foul play is suspected, and a cause of death is still pending, per the coroner's investigation.
Hardwick got his start in the comedy world back in the 1990, performing stand-up routines in his home state of Texas. A few years later, he landed a gig as a stand-up act on The Jon Stewart Show.
But it wasn't until his role as Dale Gribble on the Fox sitcom King of the Hill that Hardwick really made a name for himself. He worked on the long-running series since its conception in 1997 and lasted all the way until its final episode aired in 2010.
Hardwick is already being remembered by fans and friends alike, including one person on Twitter who called the actor and comedian a "national treasure."
"He helped make King of the Hill so timeless," the same fan added.
The man who voiced Dale Gribble has passed. I love king of the hill watched it many times....Lets all take the time to remember Johnny Hardwick and watch his best moments. pic.twitter.com/7r8pnQcRKC
— Aaron Mikita (@AaronMikita) August 10, 2023
Hardwick was also among the actors listed to return for a King of the Hill reboot, though it is not confirmed if he ever recorded for it.
"They gotta cancel that King of the Hill revival now," one fan insisted on Twitter. "you can't recast and you definitely can't cut out Dale."
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