Voice of Dale Gribble on 'King of the Hill,' Johnny Hardwick, passes away
Johnny Hardwick, renowned as the voice actor behind Dale Gribble on the enduring Fox animated sitcom "King of the Hill," has passed away. Hardwick wore multiple hats on the show, contributing as a writer and story editor during his extensive tenure, which spanned beyond 200 episodes.
He clinched an Emmy Award in 1999 for exceptional animated programming as a producer on «King of the Hill.» This accomplishment was accompanied by two additional nominations in the same category. A pivotal secondary character, Dale Gribble, inhabited the realm of «King of the Hill,» a creation of Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that persisted for 13 seasons and 259 episodes from 1997 to 2010.
Dale, recognized for his ceaseless anxiety stemming from conspiracy theories, stood as one of Hank Hill's closest companions. Throughout the show's complete 13-season span, Hardwick lent his voice to the character of Dale, contributing to 257 out of 258 episodes.
Hailing from Austin, Texas, Hardwick initiated his career as a local stand-up comedian before securing a slot on «The Jon Stewart Show.» A performance at Los Angeles' Laugh Factory comedy club captured the attention of Daniels and Judge. The latter had already tasted television success with the creation of MTV's «Beavis and Butt-Head.» Spotting potential, they invited Hardwick to join their venture in constructing «King of the Hill.» Beyond his involvement in «King of the Hill,» Hardwick made appearances on reality shows, such as «Ace of Cakes» (2009) and «Boomer vs Zoomer» (2019).
His portrayal of Dale persisted across various mediums, including the «King of the Hill» video game and the 2022 racing game «Warped Kart Racers,» utilizing archived recordings. In January, Hulu officially greenlit a
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