Known for his work as on the show as bounty hunter Dale Gribble, the talented actor and comedian died at home in Austin, Texas on August 8.
Johnny Hardwick, the longtime voice of bounty hunter and conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble on King of the Hill, passed away at home on August 8 in Austin, Texas. He was 64. His cause of death is still pending.
Hardwick started his entertainment career in 1990 as a stand-up comedian, and joined the voice cast of King of the Hill in 1997. He voiced the character until the series concluded on Fox in 2010. Hardwick was also set to reprise his role as Gribble in the upcoming Hulu series revival, although he was unable to complete recording all his lines for the new season.
In a statement, Hulu and 20th Television Animation said, “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. 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.”
In addition to lending his voice talents, Hardwick was also credited as a producer and writer on King of the Hill. He earned an Emmy as producer in 1999 and was also Emmy-nominated as a supervising producer in 2001 and 2002.
Pamela Adlon, the voice of Bobby Hill on the series, recently shared a photo and heartfelt message to Instagram, stating, “Johnny was the most unique tender hearted dirty footed sneakily talented mercurial creature,” Adlon wrote. “The memories are deep and long. Sha sha! WINGO! RIP Johnny——you you left your buttprint!!”
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