King of the Hill star Stephen Root opens up about continuing without Dale, Luanne & Redcorn

King of the Hill is back, but not without a few missing voices and not without emotion.

The upcoming revival is set to premiere on August 4 on Hulu, and long-time cast member Stephen Root has recently got real about the loss of three major voices: Johnny Hardwick (Dale), Brittany Murphy (Luanne), and Jonathan Joss (Redcorn).

When asked how the show managed to continue, Root shared:

"It still feels like a family thing for us."

But how does the team move forward without its original family members? The answer is layered, heartfelt, and honest.

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Walking forward with ghosts behind: Stephen Root on the King of the Hill revival’s emotional weight

It's one thing to revive a beloved show. It's another thing to do it when three key members of your cast are no longer alive. King of The Hill may be returning after 15 years, but the absence of Hardwick, Murphy, and Joss lingers deeply.

Stephen Root, who voices Bill Dauterive, recently addressed this in an interview with Screen Rant while promoting Resident Alien season 4. He didn't shy away from the tough part:

"Obviously, we've had some people pass that did voices on the show, and that was hard."

The show's creators, however, found ways to pay tribute while continuing the story. Some of the missing characters, like Dale Gribble, will be voiced by other actors already part of the original show. Root pointed out that

"...Even a couple of people that have passed are being done by people within the show."

That's helped the revival feel less like a restart and more like a continuation of something everyone still deeply cares about.

Despite the cast changes, Root shared that stepping back into his own role didn't feel forced at all.

"It was really easy to step back into that character, because I think Bill is now part of me after 200 shows."

In short, the grief doesn't stop the love, and that's what's keeping the heart of King of the Hill intact.

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Growing older but staying real: The revival embraces a new timeline

What makes the return of King of the Hill stand out isn't just its comeback but how it honors time itself. The show doesn't pick up where it left off in 2009. It jumps forward.

Bobby Hill is now 22 and running his own food business in Dallas. Hank and Peggy return from years working abroad. Life moved on in Arlen, and the show moves with it.

According to Root, showrunner Saladin K. Patterson made it a point to make this revival reflect current times. Root said:

"Saladin has made it a contemporary show with problems that everybody dealt with through COVID..."

That includes how the characters have grown, changed, and adjusted to a world that's not quite the same anymore.

There's a delicate balance here. While the tone remains familiar, the revival doesn't ignore what the characters and the audience have lived through. The show uses humor, but it also leans into reality. That includes coping with grief, career shifts, and cultural change.

Root makes it clear: this isn't just about bringing back laughs. It's about growth.

"I don't think I'll ever get rid of William Fontaine de La Tour Dauterive...He'll always be in there."

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King of the Hill is walking into its revival with care, love, and memory. Even without Dale, Luanne, and Redcorn, the spirit of the show lives on—not just in the characters, but in the people still voicing them.

As Stephen Root said, it's still a family. And like any strong family, they've found a way to move forward without ever forgetting the ones they lost.

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