Johnny Hardwick completed work on “a few” episodes of Hulu’s upcoming king of the Hill revival prior to his death earlier this month, TVLine has learned.
Hardwick voiced Hank’s bestie/neighbor, the chain-smoking, conspiracy-obsessed insect exterminator Dale Gribble in all 258 episodes of the former Fox series. It remains unclear if another actor will be brought in to finish what Hardwick started in the revival, which is expected to bow in 2024.
More from TVLine
Representatives from 20th Television Animation and Hulu declined to comment on this story, aside from this joint statement: “Johnny Hardwick was an incredibly beloved member of the king of the Hill family, whose tremendous talent, brilliant wit and friendship will be deeply missed by all who have worked 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 greats of animation. His voice has brought one of our most iconic characters to life and he will be truly missed.”
As previously reported, on August 8, police were called to Hardwick’s home in Texas for a welfare check and discovered his body. A cause of death is unknown, although foul play has reportedly been ruled out.
king of the Hill, which aired on Fox for 13 seasons, from 1997 to 2009, revolved around propane salesman Hank Hill and his family and friends in Arlen, Texas. Hulu’s current revival will once again take place in the fictional Texas suburb.
In addition to Hardwick, Mike Judge (Hank and Boomhauer), Kathy Najimy (Hank’s wife Peggy) and Pamela Adlon (Hank’s son Bobby) and Stephen Root as Hank’s barber friend Bill, among others, have been announced to return for the continuation. Ashley Gardner is also on board as Dale’s wife Nancy, as well as Lauren Tom as Minh’s neighbor and also Minh’s daughter Connie.
The best of TVLine
Get more from TVLine.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
Click here to read the full article.
