Johnny Hardwick, King of the Hill Actor, Dead at 64

Johnny Hardwick, the actor best known for voicing Dale Gribble on King of the Hill, has died at 64 years old.

Per TMZ, Hardwick was pronounced dead at his Texas home on Tuesday after authorities were called in for a welfare check. No foul play is suspected, and the cause of death is currently unknown.

Hardwick got his start performing local standup comedy in Texas during the early ’90s, eventually appearing on more prominent stages for shows like Evening at the Improv and Caroline’s Comedy Hour. He was the first standup comedian to appear on The John Stewart Show.

After doing a routine about his father at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, Hardwick was approached by Greg Daniels and Mike Judge, who were developing King of the Hill at the time. They offered him a writing job on the show, and Hardwick took the role of Dale Gribble after producers weren’t able to agree with Daniel Stern on compensation.

In addition to voicing the conspiracy theory-obsessed character throughout the show’s 13-year run, Hardwick also served as a staff writer, story editor, and producer on King of the Hill. As a producer, he won an Emmy in 1999 for Outstanding Animated Program and received another two nominations in the category.

Hardwick was set to return for Hulu’s King of the Hill revival, but it’s currently unknown whether he recorded anything for the upcoming season.

In response to Hardwick’s death, Judge simply shared a screenshot from King of the Hill of Gribble hanging out with his buddies Hank Hill, Boomhauer, and Bill Dauterive.