Fans of “King of the Hill” were shaken to their cores last week with the sudden death of voice actor Johnny Hardwick. The voice of anti-government conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble, one of Hank Hill’s best friends. The question on everyone’s mind at the time was how the upcoming revival would be effected. We now know Hardwick had begun recording for several episodes.
That news brings an even greater question to the forefront. What now? What will happen to the series? Will there be an attempt to recast? Keith David just became the new voice of Commander Zavala in “Destiny 2.” So it’s not wholly out of the question. But without Johnny’s specific attitude, will it even be the same? It’s hard to think of Hardwick being replaced. But it’s not an unusual practice for animated series.
Hulu and 20th Century Entertainment wouldn’t comment on just how much Hardwick had recorded. But they did issue a heartfelt statement on how much he meant to the series as a whole.
“Johnny Hardwick was an incredibly beloved member of the King of the Hill family, whose tremendous talent, brilliant humor and friendship will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to work with him over the past 25 years,” the statement reads. “Our deepest condolences go out to his friends and family as we mourn the loss of one of the animation greats. His voice gave life to one of our most iconic characters, and he will be truly missed.”
And he will be. The “King of the Hill” revival series is executive produced by Greg T. Daniels and Mike Judge, as was the original series. Whatever the decision, we will really miss Johnny Hardwick’s wit and iconic voice. Dale was often a fan favorite and extremely meme-able. It’s hard to face that the heart of the character is gone.
