A recent report from TV Line suggests that, prior to his sudden passing earlier this month, actor Johnny Hardwick had done some recording as Dale Gribble for the planned King of the Hill revival.
How much of the King of the Hill revival did Hardwick work on?
The report notes that Hardwick — who played Gribble for the entirety of the hit comedy series — had completed work on “a couple of episodes” of the revival, which is set to arrive on Hulu at some point in the future.
As of now, it’s unclear whether or not series creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels will be looking to replace Hardwick with a soundalike for any future episodes, as shows like Rick and Morty plan to do for creator Justin Roiland. Representatives for 20th Television Animation and Hulu declined to comment on just how much Hardwick had worked on the series, though they did issue a joint statement on what Hardwick meant to the series.
“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.”
Hardwick passed away last week. Texas law enforcement was called to the home Hardwick on Tuesday for a welfare check when they discovered him. No foul play is suspected in the death, and it’s currently unclear what the cause of death is at this time.
The King of the Hill revival will once again be executive produced by Daniels and Judge, with the latter also returning to voice his role as Hank Hill. The project is produced by 20th Television Animation and Bandera Entertainment.
