Johnny Hardwick (1958–2023), voice of Dale on King of the Hill 

Johnny Hardwick was a stand-up comedian, writer, and voice actor who played Dale Gribble, Hank Hill’s conspiracy-theorist friend on the animated TV show "King of the Hill."

• Died: August 8, 2023 (Who else died on August 8?)

• Details of death: Died in Austin, Texas, of at the age of 64.

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Johnny Hardwick’s legacy

Born in Austin, Texas, Hardwick spent his early years working at bars in Dallas and Austin after graduating from Texas Tech University. In 1990, he began to perform stand-up comedy, working improv shows and making television appearances. In 1995, he was the first stand-up comedian to appear on “The Jon Stewart Show.” He also performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival that same year.

While performing at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, he was spotted by Mike Judge, then best known as the creator of the animated duo “Beavis and Butthead.” Judge was in the early stages of creating “King of the Hill” and felt a kinship with Hardwick’s Texas-based humor. He brought Hardwick on board, at first as a writer. The role of Dale Gribble was going to be voiced by actor Daniel Stern, but when talks fell through, Hardwick stepped in. He played Dale for 13 years, appearing in all but one episode of the show’s 258-episode run.

When not acting for “King of the Hill,” Hardwick had a YouTube channel where he performed comedy sketches, often in character as Dale. He would also go on to become a producer and story editor on the show, winning an Emmy Award in 1999.

Notable Quote

“Are you an alien? Because you’ve just abducted my heart.”—Dale Gribble from an episode of “King of the Hill”

Tributes to Johnny Hardwick

Full obituary: Deadline

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