Everything to Know About the New Voice Actor for ‘King of the Hill’s’ Dale Gribble
Originally premiering in January 1997, ‘King of the Hill’ quickly became a runaway hit for FOX’s well-known animated block of programming.
Published Aug. 6 2025, 4:13 p.m. ET
One of the many reasons that fans become attached to their favorite animated characters is because of the connection, passion, and personality their actors portray — which is why it can be difficult when a new voice actor takes over a beloved role. On the heels of the highly anticipated King of the Hill reboot, fans will also be introduced to the new voice actor inhabiting the role of character Dale Gribble.
Originally premiering in January 1997, King of the Hill quickly became a runaway hit for FOX’s well-known animated block of programming. The series ended in September 2009, but fans were delighted when it was announced that a series reboot would air in August 2025.
Everything to know about the new voice actor for Dale Gribble.
Following the 2023 death of original Dale Gribble voice actor Johnny Hardwick in May 2025, it was announced that Toby Huss would take over the role beginning with the King of the Hill reboot dropping on Hulu in August 2025, according to Variety.
Toby will likely transition seamlessly into the role, as he has previously voiced the characters Kahn Souphanousinphone and Cotton Hill during King of the Hill’s original run. Fans tuning into the reboot will still have Hardwick’s voice to remember, as he was able to record six episodes as Dale before his death.
Per the outlet, in the reboot, Dale is said to be the same character that fans have come to know and love, and “he remains an extreme skeptic at heart with even wilder conspiracies and half-baked, elaborate schemes.”
Other beloved characters from King of the Hill are also back in rare and funny form. “After years working a propane job in Saudi Arabia to earn their retirement nest egg, Hank and Peggy Hill return to a changed Arlen, Texas, to reconnect with old friends Dale, Boomhauer, and Bill,” a synopsis of the season read, per Variety. “Meanwhile, Bobby is living his dream as a chef in Dallas and enjoying his twenties with his former classmates Connie, Joseph, and Chane.”
Two years later, the cause and manner of Johnny’s death remains a mystery.
According to a report from the Travis County Medical Examiner in November 2023, the cause and manner of the late King of the Hill Star’s death have been listed as “undetermined,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
In the medical examiner’s report, which was obtained by the outlet, there were “extensive decompositional changes” to the state of Johnny’s body, which “impeded the ability to identify either.” Additionally, it was noted that his death was sudden and he was not a victim of drowning despite being found lying face up in the bathtub of his home in Austin, Texas.
The decomposition of Johnny’s body when he was discovered by local authorities following a welfare check, “made it difficult to determine the presence of any natural disease and left the examiner unable to determine any functional abnormalities,” per the outlet.