Johnny Hardwick, the stand-up comic from Texas who voiced the character of Dale Gribble in Fox’s hugely popular animated sitcom King of the Hill, has died. He was 64.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ they were called to Hardwick’s Texas home Tuesday for a welfare check and discovered his body. The comedian was pronounced dead at the scene. A cause of death hasn’t been released, though no foul play is suspected.
For King of the Hill‘s entire 13-season run, Johnny Hardwick voiced the character of Dale Gribble, the creatively employed conspiracy theorist whose face was perpetually concealed behind silver sunglasses and an orange baseball cap. Dale served as a comic foil to the show’s straight-man protagonist Hank Hill (co-creator Mike Judge), often ending up in bizarre predicaments of his own devising.
I'm sad to report that Johnny Hardwick, who was best known as the voice of Dale Gribble on King Of The Hill, has passed away at the age of 64. He was also writer and producer on the show.#RIPJohnnyHardwick pic.twitter.com/I4vljzu8SX
— The Voice Artist's Spotlight #IStandWithSAGAFTRA (@vas_90s) August 10, 2023
The Fox series portrayed blue-collar life in a suburban Texas town with affectionate satire and deadpan humor, garnering a huge fanbase that has remained loyal even after the show ended in 2010.
Hulu recently announced it will reboot the series; but with Hardwick’s death, it remains unclear if and how the project will proceed.
Hardwick began his career as a stand-up comedian performing in venues in Austin and Dallas. He caught the attention of Mike Judge while performing a set at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles and was hired to become part of the King of the Hill voice cast.
Following the show’s conclusion, Hardwick launched his own YouTube channel where he would sometimes perform songs in character as Dale Gribble.
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