Voice actor Johnny Hardwick is better known as the voice of “King of the Hill” character Dale Gribble. He voiced the character throughout every season of the show, and he was scheduled to reprise his role in an upcoming reboot of the series.
Unfortunately, on August 8, 2023, Hardwick was found dead in his home in Austin, Texas. Police discovered his body when they responded to a welfare check. Hardwick was only 59 years old.
Watch the video below to learn more about Hardwick’s career and death.
At the time his death was announced publicly, a cause of death was not released. Sometimes, it takes a while for an official cause of death to be determined, but now, almost three months later, we have more details.
Unfortunately, Hardwick’s cause of death will remain inconclusive. Reportedly, his body was decomposed so much that his cause of death cannot be determined. The only thing we can rule out is foul play.
According to the autopsy report obtained by TMZ, Hardwick’s body was in terrible condition when police found him. We now know they found him in his bathtub, and the water was still running. Fortunately, the drain was open, so his body was not completely submerged, but we don’t know how long he was in the bathtub before police found him.
We also know that the results of a toxicology report showed “presumptive positive test for cannabinoids.” In addition, drugs were found in Hardwick’s home, but it has not been disclosed what kinds of drugs were found.
Another interesting fact TMZ points out from the autopsy report is that Hardwick only weighed 100 pounds when his body was found. That’s pretty light for a 5’7″ man.
Relive the best of Hardwick as the voice of Gribble on “King of the Hill” in this video compilation.
Does it surprise you that an official cause of death of Hardwick cannot be determined?
