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Johnny Hardwick

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Johnny Hardwick
Hardwick performing stand-up comedy in 2004
Born
John Michael Hardwick

(1958-12-31)December 31, 1958
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Diedc. August 8, 2023(2023-08-08) (aged 64)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
EducationTexas Tech University (BA)
Occupations
  • Voice actor
  • comedian
  • writer
  • producer
  • YouTuber
Years active1990–2023
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2015–2023
Genre(s)Song parodies, monologues
Subscribers23,600[1]
Total views836,000[1]

John Michael Hardwick (December 31, 1958 – c. August 8, 2023)[2][3] was an American voice actor, comedian, writer, producer and YouTuber. He was best known as the voice of Dale Gribble in the animated American television series King of the Hill.[4] He also served as a staff writer,[5] story editor, and producer on the show. He was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards three times, winning once in 1999 with the rest of King of the Hill's production team.[6]

Early life

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John Michael Hardwick was born in Austin, Texas, on December 31, 1958.[7][8][3] He attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock.[9] After graduating with a BA degree in journalism, he worked for a decade as a bartender in live blues bars in Dallas and Austin, including Nick's Uptown, Sixth Street Live and The Greenville Bar & Grill.[citation needed]

Career

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Starting in 1990, Hardwick performed stand-up comedy for a number of years, appearing at such venues as the Dallas Improv and the Velveeta Room in Austin and appearing on shows including Evening at the Improv and Caroline's Comedy Hour.[10] He was the first comic to appear on The Jon Stewart Show. In 1995, he worked the Montreal Comedy Festival, where Brandon Tartikoff saw his set and signed him to a sitcom on NBC, which never materialized.[11]

After Hardwick signed with the Strauss-McGarr agency, he was continually booked in stand-up across the United States. While at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, he performed a set about his father in Texas.[12] Afterward, he was approached by television writers and producers Greg Daniels and Mike Judge, who were helping create the Texan-themed comedy King of the Hill.[13]

The role of Dale Gribble was originally offered to Daniel Stern, but producers were unable to agree with Stern on a salary. Instead, Hardwick won it by not arguing about money.[12] He performed the role for the show's entire 13-year run and appeared in 257 of 258 episodes.[13] At the time of his death, he was set to reprise the role again in the upcoming revival. It was later revealed that Hardwick had recorded "a couple" of new episodes for the revival prior to his death.[14]

On September 12, 2012, Hardwick created a YouTube channel, though it had no uploads until 2015. In December 2018, he started regularly uploading new content. As of May 2023, the channel had 17,500 subscribers and over 608,000 views, primarily streaming song parodies and monologues in Dale's voice.[15]

Death

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On August 8, 2023, Hardwick was found dead face-up in the bathtub at his home in Austin following a welfare check by local authorities. He was 64 years old at the time of his death.[8][16][2][17][18] In November, it was reported that the moderate decomposition of his body left the cause and manner of death unable to be established, but the examiner noted that his death appeared to be relatively sudden, that drowning was unlikely, and there was no obvious signs of trauma. His body also tested positive for cannabinoids, and there were unspecified drugs found at the scene.[18][19]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1996 Ruta Wakening Jester Independent film[20]
1999 Natural Selection Documentary Director (voice) Short film[13][21]
The Collegians Are Go!! Sleepy Student
2019 Shadows of Sofia — Consulting producer[22]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1992 An Evening at the Improv Himself [23]
1997–2010; 2025 King of the Hill Dale Gribble, Additional voices 2025 episodes recorded prior to death[14]
Also producer, supervising producer, consulting producer, writer and story editor[24]
2003 The Making of King of the Hill Himself Television documentary[25]
2009 Ace of Cakes Himself Episode: "King of Charm City"[25]

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2000 King of the Hill Dale Gribble PC game[25]
2022 Warped Kart Racers Mobile game; archival recording[25]

Music videos

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Year Title Role Notes
1999 Barenaked Ladies: Get in Line Dale Gribble Voice

References

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  1. ^ a b "About johnny hardwick". YouTube.
  2. ^ a b De Loera, Carlos (August 11, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick, voice of Dale Gribble on 'King of the Hill,' dies at 64". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Jack Hobbs (August 10, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick, voice of Dale Gribble on 'King of the Hill,' dead at 64". New York Post. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  4. ^ "See the Voices Behind Your Favorite 'King of the Hill' Characters". Entertainment Weekly. July 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "Johnny Hardwick". Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  6. ^ "Johnny Hardwick – Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins". Television Academy. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Whittaker, Richard (August 10, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick, the Voice of Dale Gribble, Dies at 64". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Barnes, Mike (August 10, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick, the Voice of Dale Gribble on 'King of the Hill,' Dies at 64". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  9. ^ "Texas Tech Alumni Spotlight – Entertainment". September 2020.
  10. ^ Fu, Eddie (August 10, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick, Voice of King of the Hill's Dale Gribble, Dead at 64". Yahoo!. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  11. ^ Klee, Miles (August 10, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick, Voice of Conspiracy Nut Dale Gribble on 'King of the Hill,' Dead at 64". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Faires, Robert (April 2, 1999). "Picks to Snicker". Austin Chronicle.
  13. ^ a b c Harris, Raquel 'Rocky' (August 10, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick, Voice of Dale Gribble on 'King of the Hill,' Dies at 64".
  14. ^ a b Ausiello, Michael (August 14, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick Recorded New King of the Hill Episodes for Hulu Revival Prior to Death (Exclusive)". TVLine. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  15. ^ "johnny hardwick". Retrieved May 1, 2023 – via YouTube.
  16. ^ Evans, Greg (August 10, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick Dies: 'King Of The Hill' Dale Gribble Voice Actor Was 64". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  17. ^ Christopher Intagliata, Erika Ryan (August 10, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick of 'King of the Hill' dies at 64". NPR. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  18. ^ a b White, Abbey (November 17, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick Cause and Manner of Death Undetermined". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  19. ^ Wynne, Kelly (November 3, 2023). "King of the Hill Star Johnny Hardwick's Cause of Death Remains Undetermined Due to State of Body". People. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  20. ^ "Johnny Hardwick". www.tcm.com.
  21. ^ "Johnny Hardwick, voice of Dale on 'King of the Hill,' dies: reports". Fox TV Stations. August 10, 2023.
  22. ^ "Shadows of Sofia". TVGuide.com.
  23. ^ "Johnny Hardwick, Voice of King of the Hill's Dale Gribble, Dead at 64". Yahoo Entertainment. August 10, 2023.
  24. ^ "Johnny Hardwick". Rotten Tomatoes.
  25. ^ a b c d Sharf, Zack (August 10, 2023). "Johnny Hardwick, Voice of Dale on 'King of the Hill,' Has Died".
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