Johnny Hardwick Cause of Death: Johnny Hardwick, who portrayed Dale Gribble on King of the Hill, passed away on August 8 at his residence in Austin, Texas. He was 64 years old.
Hardwick and his Texas-accented character had been a part of the Emmy-winning animated series from its inception in 1997 until its final episode on Fox in 2010. Hulu, where the reruns are presently streamed, announced earlier this year that Hardwick would return for the series’ streaming revival.
The coroner’s office in Austin confirmed the actor’s passing. No foul play is suspected, and the coroner’s investigation has yet to determine the cause of death.
Johnny Hardwick Cause of Death
Mike Judge and Greg Daniels’ King of the Hill is set in the fictional Texas town of Arlen and follows the lives of Hank Hill (Judge), his wife Peggy (Kathy Najimy), and their adolescent son Bobby (Pamela Adlon). Stephen Root, Lauren Tom, and Ashley Gardner are also voice actors on the show.
Born John Michael Hardwick in Austin in 1990, the actor began his career with stand-up comedy. He eventually appeared on The Jon Stewart Show, at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, and at the Montreal Comedy Festival.
During the early seasons of King of the Hill on Fox, Hardwick was credited as a producer and writer. In 2001 and 2002, he was nominated for an Emmy as the show’s supervising producer, and he shared the award in 1999 when King of the Hill was named Outstanding Animated Programme.
Since the conclusion of the original King of the Hill series, Hardwick has launched his own popular YouTube channel.
Judge and Daniels have returned as executive producers for the Hulu revival announced by 20th Television Animation in January. Saladin Patterson will serve as executive producer and showrunner for the production.