King Of The Hill's Johnny Hardwick Dies At 64

"King of the Hill" voice actor Johnny Hardwick has died. He was 64.

TMZ says that law enforcement conducted a welfare check on Hardwick at his Texas residence, where he was immediately pronounced dead. While Hardwick's cause of death is currently unknown, no foul play is suspected.

Hardwick is best known for voicing the peculiar but always knowledgable Dale Gribble in Mike Judge's "King of the Hill." For fans of the animated series, Dale is a particular standout who just can't seem to be boxed in. Hardwick became a staple for the series, appearing in almost episode of "King of the Hill." From his ridiculous (but mind-blowing) conspiracy theories, to his various jobs, Dale was an enigma in the larger "King of the Hill" roster, making him a fan favorite. Hardwick's talent extended beyond voicing Dale, as the creative penned numerous episodes in the animated series. He also served as a story editor and producer on the show, eventually winning an Emmy for his contributions to "King of the Hill."

Hardwick first got his start in show business as a comedian. Eventually, he was offered the role of Dale after Daniel Stern had rejected it. While speaking with the Austin Chronicle, the Dale voice actor candidly opened up about how he got in tune with the conspiracy theorist and his mindset. "I ended up kind of basing his attitude on if he thought he was Jack Nicholson but he wasn't, or if he just thought he was the coolest guy around, like Matthew McConaughey's character in 'Dazed and Confused,'" Hardwick shared, before revealing that Judge's original pilot didn't feature Dale as a conspiracy theorist. 

In addition to developing and starring in "King of the Hill," Hardwick boasted his own YouTube channel. 

Before "King of the Hill" changed his life, Johnny Hardwick was a budding stand-up comedian in the Texas circuit. He eventually got the opportunity to appear on "The Jon Stewart Show." With "King of the Hill" dominating most of his professional career, Hardwick remained mostly lowkey after the series wrapped up its 13 season tenure on Fox in 2010. Hardcore fans of Hardwick found themselves flocking to his YouTube channel, where he shared covers of his favorite songs and kooky monologues done in Dale's voice. Hardwick, alongside the rest of the "King of the Hall" cast, was slated to appear in the upcoming Hulu revival, per Deadline. It's currently unclear if Hardwick recorded any lines as Dale for the reboot series prior to his death. 

Following the announcement of Hardwick's death, several of the comedian's fans have taken to social media to pay tribute to the "King of the Hill" superstar. "Dale Gribble is such a funny, livewire character but there's so much vulnerability and warmth that Johnny Hardwick brought," shared a fan on Twitter. "Johnny Hardwick was a national treasure and his portrayal of Dale Gribble is one of the finest performances in a show stacked with incredible characters," wrote Twitter user @justbarke. Hardwick received the same ceremonious treatment on the "King of the Hill" fan subreddit. "I remember watching a video where he is playing piano as Dale and thinking how much fun he seemed to have with the character. Crazy how he really didn't voice act for many other characters," wrote user u/Charlie_Warlie. 

May Johnny Hardwick rest in peace.