Johnny Hardwick Recorded 6 KING OF THE HILL Revival Episodes Before His Passing

Hardwick appeared in 257 of King of the Hill‘s original 258 episodes and also worked as a writer, producer, and more on the show. His passing has left the show’s viewers sorrowful and wondering how the revival will move on. For now, 20th Television Animation and Hulu have shared the following statement. The studios note:

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 the world of fiction, death can exist as a minor obstacle. But our realities are not so fortunate. However, per TV Line, it seems there is still a bit more new Dale Gribble awaiting those who have known the character since 1997. TV Line shares that “Johnny Hardwick completed work on ‘a couple’ episodes of Hulu’s forthcoming King of the Hill revival prior to his death.” And we now know that Johnny Hardwick will voice Dale Gribble in six of the King of the Hill revival episodes. Voice actor Toby Huss will take over as Dale for the remaining episodes of the season 14 revival.

The fate of Dale Gribble on the King of the Hill revival remains unknown, although the show shares that “he remains an extreme skeptic at heart with even wilder conspiracies and half-baked, elaborate schemes.” As a big part of the show, Dale will surely feature prominently on the King of the Hill revival. He and Hank had a close friendship, after all. As Dale’s old legacy comes to a close, and his new legacy begins, we’ll pop open a beer in honor of the character and the iconic Johnny Hardwick.