Longtime fans ofKing of the Hillmay have noticed that Dale Gribble sounds very different in the recent revival season, and there’s a tragic explanation for the change. TheKing of the Hillrevivalfeatures almost all the cast members from the original show. From Mike Judge and Pamela Adlon to Stephen Root and Kathy Najimy,King of the Hillreunited almost everyone it could.
The sheer number of returning voice actors who appear in theKing of the Hillrevival makes it surprising that Dale sounds so different. While it has been 15 years since the last episode came out, Dale’s voice was changed by age. Unfortunately, there’s another, much more tragic explanation for why Dale sounds different inKing of the Hillseason 14.
Dale Gribble’s Original Voice Actor, Johnny Hardwick, Died Two Years Before The King Of The Hill Revival
Hardwick Died In 2023, Before He Could Finish Recording Lines For The King Of The Hill Revival
The reason Dale Gribble sounds so different in theKing of the Hillrevival compared to the original show is because he’s (partially) played by a new actor.The original voice actor behind Dale, Johnny Hardwick, died in 2023, two years before theKing of the Hillrevival series came out(viaThe Hollywood Reporter). Hardwick was 64 years old, and the cause of death couldn’t be determined.
Unfortunately, Johnny Hardwick also isn’t the onlyKing of the Hillcast member who passed away before the revival season.The actors who played Luanne (Brittany Murphy), Lucky (Tom Petty), and John Redcorn (Jonathan Joss) all passed away between 2009 and 2025. Jonathan Joss, however, was murdered in June 2025, after he had already recorded John Redcorn’s lines for the revival.
Additionally,King of the Hillmade a tribute to Johnny Hardwick, though it came in an unusual place. Unlike other shows, who memorialize deceased actors and crew members at the start of the season,theKing of the Hillrevival doesn’t have a tribute to Hardwick until episode 7. That’s because Hardwick recorded lines for the first seven episodes, and he was replaced in episode 8.
Dale’s New Voice Actor In King Of The Hill Season 14 Has Long Ties To The Show
Toby Huss Voices Dale In The King Of The Hill Revival & He Previously Voiced Both Cotton Hill & Kahn
Johnny Hardwick’s death was a tragedy, but there’s also some good news that helps make it more bearable. TheKing of the Hillrevival had to recast Dale, as he’s a core member of Hank’s friend group and one of the show’s main characters. Luckily,King of the Hillwas able to replace Hardwick with another voice actor from the original series: Toby Huss.
Toby Huss voiced both Cotton Hill, Hank’s father, and Kahn Souphanousinphone, in the originalKing of the Hill. Since the revival takes place years later, however, Cotton is dead, andKahn is now voiced by Ronny Chieng.By picking Huss to replace Hardwick,King of the Hillmanaged to both keep Huss on the show and have another “family” member from the original series voice Dale.
While Toby Huss can’t perfectly recreate Johnny Hardwick’s voice, it’s still good that an originalKing of the Hillactor got the part.Stephen Root spoke about how important the original castis to each other, and his comments make it clear that the entire cast is something of a family. Dale may sound different inKing of the Hill, but Johnny Hardwick hasn’t been forgotten.
