King of the Hill cast reflects on honoring Johnny Hardwick and bringing back beloved characters

King of the Hill Season 14 is a nostalgic ride for fans of the iconic animated series. While many of the original voice actors are returning, some new names are also joining the cast. The series, which premiered on Hulu on August 4, 2025, is returning after 15 years. King of the Hill follows the many hilarious adventures of the Hill family and their life in Arlen, Texas. The new season comprises ten episodes.

King of the Hill, which originally ran from 1997 to 2009, is brought back by co-creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge. Dale Gribble, originally voiced by Johnny Hardwick, is the conspiracy-driven neighbor of Hank Hill on the show. Hardwick was able to record only six episodes of the new season before his sudden death in 2023. Voice actor Toby Huss took over the role for the remainder of the season.

While speaking about honoring Johnny Hardwick through King of the Hill Season 14, Toby Huss shared with CBR,

“Well, you know, I spent 13 years watching him. And we've recorded usually in the same room over at Fox, and watching Steven (Root), Lauren (Tom), Pam (Adlon), Kathy (Najimy), Mike (Judge) and everybody. So, it was something to watch because he didn't start off as an actor, he started off as a stand-up, and he had this really unique take on stuff.”

Huss added,

“So, there were a lot of things to grab onto vocally when I was doing his voice. So just taking what he did for all those years and trying not to improve it, just trying to put my take on it, which is mainly his take. Because he set the rules for this character, and I'm trying to sit in obedience of those rules and I don't feel the need to break anything that Johnny did because it was so great the way he did it.”

Jonathan Joss, who voiced the character of John Redcorn, also passed away in June 2025, but he was able to complete his portion of the recording before his death. The series paid tribute to the actor in Episode 10.

King of the Hill is back with Season 14

King of the Hill returns to the screen after a long wait with Season 14 on Hulu. The series will take audiences to the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, where the Hill family and friends come together for new misadventures and heartfelt stories. Even though they are now living in a world much different from the one they experienced during the original run, the show still focuses on realistic, modern-day life challenges.

In the King of the Hill revival season, we find Hank and Peggy Hill returning home after living in Saudi Arabia. America is far from what he remembers, and he must now navigate unexpected cultural differences. Hank and Peggy are now living a retired life as they try to make the best of their current circumstances.

As per Deadline, Mike Judge said about King of the Hill Season 14,

“…During the original run of the show, Greg (Daniels) and I used to talk about this in the writers’ room. We had this concept of Andy Griffith being back and he’s pissed off, because we grew up on The Andy Griffith Show, and we wanted to bring that kind of old-school person into the world. Now we think of it as Hank Hill is back, and he’s pissed off. It’s funny because the Aramco base [petroleum company] has this idyllic, perfect American city for Americans over there. So, for Hank, it seemed great. He’s in this idyllic world, and then he comes back to America. And now he’s like, 'What the hell?'"

Just as in its original run, social commentary continues to be a part of King of the Hill Season 14. As per Variety, showrunner Saladin K. Patterson said,

“Hank always represented such a commonsense, practical approach to cultural things and societal things. Whether it leaned left of middle or right of middle, it always was something that was respectful and made sense.”

The cast for King of the Hill Season 14 includes Mike Judge as Hank Hill/Boomhauer, Kathy Najimy as Peggy Hill, Pamela Adlon as Bobby Hill, Stephen Root as Bill Dauterive, and Ronny Chieng as Kahn Souphanousinphone.

King of the Hill Season 14 is exclusively available on Hulu.

ALSO READ: What is the plot of Unspeakable Sins? All about the Mexican series topping the Netflix streaming charts

Trending

For more stories on shows, follow SoapCentral.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback