Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for King of the Hill season 14.Dale Gribble was recast in theKing of the Hillrevival, but many people may not have noticed, since his new voice actor did such a great job of matching his voice. Many fans noticed thatDale sounds different inKing of the Hillseason 14. His low, accusatory voice got more nasal, and his cadence slowed down considerably.
Though he was recast, the changes in Dale’s voice weren’t actually from the new actor. The original actor who voiced Dale, Johnny Hardwick, died in 2023, but he had already recorded lines for the first seven episodes ofKing of the Hillseason 14.The changes in Dale’s voice are all from Hardwick, and his replacement was so good at matching him that you may not have noticed when he took over.
Toby Huss Slides Into The Dale’s Voice Perfectly
Johnny Hardwick Did Sound Different After 15 Years, But Toby Huss Matched His New Voice Flawlessly
As previously mentioned, Johnny Hardwick was able to record seven episodes ofKing of the Hillseason 14 before his death. Toby Huss, who voiced both Cotton Hill and Kahn Souphanousinphone in the original series, started voicing Dale inKing of the Hillseason 14, episode 8. Dale did sound different in theKotHrevival, but it wasn’t because of Huss.
In fact, Huss was able to almost perfectly recreate Johnny Hardwick’s most recent performance as Dale Gribble.If it weren’t for the memorial card in episode 7, many fans may not have even realized that Hardwick was recast; that’s how good Huss is at doing Dale’s voice. The transition was literally seamless, and its a testament to Toby Huss' skills as a voice actor.
King Of The Hill’s Cast Has Experienced Tragedies Since It Went Off The Air
Johnny Hardwick, Brittany Murphy, Tom Petty, Jonathan Joss, & Chuck Mangione All Died Before KotH Season 14
Unfortunately forKing of the Hilland its fans, Johnny Hardwick’s passing was far from the only tragedy that plagued the show. In the 15 years sinceKing of the Hillseason 13 ended, five different recurring voice actors have passed on:Johnny Hardwick (Dale), Brittany Murphy (Luanne), Tom Petty (Lucky), Jonathan Joss (John Redcorn), and Chuck Mangione (himself).
King of the Hillalso handled all of their deaths differently. Dale was obviously recast, butLuanne and Lucky don’t appear inKing of the Hillseason 14at all. The creators of the show said that was a way to memorialize them and “retire” their characters.Jonathan Joss died in June 2025, so he was able to record all of John Redcorn’s lines, while Chuck Mangione also died after production.
Dealing with actors who have passed away is a problem most revival shows have to deal with, butKing of the Hillwas hit hard. Hardwick, Murphy, Petty, Joss, and Mangione voiced a core set of characters inKing of the Hill, but the show powered on without them. The rest of the cast ofKing of the Hillwill also continue to remember them and their legacies in the show.
