King Of The Hill Revival At Hulu Recorded Johnny Hardwick As Dale Gribble Before He Died

"King of the Hill" fans were hit with the sad news last week that Johnny Hardwick, the voice of Hank Hill's longtime friend Dale Gribble, had passed away at 64. Hardwick lent his voice to Dale across all 13 seasons of Mike Judge's animated series, which originally ran from 1997 through 2009. However, "King of the Hill" fans had been looking forward to a series revival of the comedy at Hulu, hot on the heels of the return of Judge's other animated comedy hit "Beavis and Butt-Head" on Paramount + and Comedy Central. But with no window for the revival's return, many have been wondering whether or not Hardwick was able to record lines for Dale's return on the show before his passing. We now have the answer.

TV Line has learned that Hardwick was able to get in the recording booth to complete a couple episodes of the "King of the Hill" revival before his untimely death last week. But considering the fact that Dale Gribble was such a key part of the entertainment ensemble of characters in the animated series, how will the show handle Hardwick's passing?

As of now, 20th Television Animation and Hulu have declined to comment on any future plans for "King of the Hill" and the presence of Dale Gribble in the series. The two companies only released this joint statement on the matter:

"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."

Dale Gribble was the source of some big laughs in the original run of the series. Dale's obsession with conspiracy theories often took him in strange directions, and he was a perfectly accurate portrayal of a certain sect of America, but with a satirical edge to him. Dale could always be found chain-smoking cigarettes while hanging out and drinking beers with the propane man himself, Hank Hill, the army barber Bill, and the mumbling Boomhauer. When he wasn't throwing back some cold ones, he was working as an exterminator, occasionally bounty hunting, and fighting back against government oppression.

The question is whether or not "King of the Hill" will try to continue by casting someone else in the role as a soundalike, which is what "Rick and Morty" is doing in the wake of Justin Roiland's departure from the series after stirring up controversy. Gribble is such an integral part of "King of the Hill" that it's hard to imagine the show without him. But if the series ended up writing out the character, perhaps it would offer a new narrative avenue for the boys to find a new friend in his stead. After all, wouldn't it make perfect sense if Dale was just suddenly gone, either presumed to be taken by the government or off on his own vendetta against this oppressive state?

We'll have to wait and see what happens with the "King of the Hill" revival, but since they had seemingly only recorded a couple episodes and the SAG-AFTRA strike is ongoing, it might be awhile before we find out what's going on. Stay tuned.