King of the Hill star Johnny Hardwick, who voiced Dale Gribble, has died. He was 64 years old. TMZ reports that, on Tuesday, police were called to Hardwick’s home in Texas for a welfare check. Upon arriving, officers discovered his body. The comedian was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected, but Hardwick’s cause of death is currently unknown.
Originally from Austin, Texas, Hardwick got his start as a comedian in the early 90s. He performed around North America for years and was the first stand-up to appear on The Jon Stewart Show, a short-lived nightly talk show on MTV. Hardwick eventually landed the role of Dale, a hilariously quirky and paranoid friend of Hank Hill, on Mike Judge’s King of the Hill. Interestingly, the role was first offered to actor Daniel Stern, but he and the show’s producers could not come to an agreement on salary. Of the show’s 259-episode run, Hardwick appeared in 258. He was with the show for all of its 13 seasons, from its debut in January 1997 until its finale in May 2010.
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Following the news of Hardwick’s death, many King of the Hill fans have come out to memorialize and pay tribute to the late voice actor. “Dale Gribble is such a funny, livewire character but there’s so much vulnerability and warmth that Johnny Hardwick brought,” one person wrote on social media. “Dale seems like a genuinely good man and good father despite being a total nut.”
“Gutted to hear about the passing of Johnny Hardwick,” someone else added. “Dale Gribble absolutely stole any scene on KOTH that he was the focus of. Undeniably he was the funniest character on the show, and part of that came from Hardwick’s voice performance. He will be missed.”
“This one cuts deep,” a third fan offered. “Johnny Hardwick was a national treasure and his portrayal of Dale Gribble is one of the finest performances in a show stacked with incredible characters. He helped make King of the Hill so timeless.”
“RIP Johnny Hardwick. Dale was a supporting character who stole the show,” one last person commented. “Not just because he was so funny, but because his characterization was extremely complex and fascinating to watch unfold. King of the Hill wouldn’t have lasted 1 episode without you. And that’s no psyop.”
