King of the Hill fans are in for a treat as there have been several new updates.

Toby Huss has been cast as the new voice actor for the character of Dale Gribble.

Huss voiced Kahn Souphanousinphone and Cotton Hill, as well as other characters, in over 160 episodes.

Huss voicing Kahn today (to say nothing of back in 2010) would almost certainly be problematic. And with Cotton having died in the original series, eliminating any of Huss’s well known recurring characters, choosing him to stand in for Johnny Hardwick feels fitting. I think removing Dale entirely would have left a big gap in the alley, and this feels respectful enough.

Was anyone hoping they would have found a way to write Dale Gribble out of the show instead?

  • Vinny_93@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    8 days ago

    Nah you gotta have Dale. I missed why the original actor can’t just reprise the role?

    I also wonder what’s gonna happen with John Redcorn since that terrible thing has happened to Joss…

    • hungrycat@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
      4·
      8 days ago

      Johnny Hardwick, the original voice actor for Dale, passed away in 2023. Supposedly Hardwick had already recorded lines for some episodes of the revival. Unknown whether they would be used at all or re-recorded with Huss.

  • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
    English
    3·
    8 days ago

    Nah, Mel Blanc died, but that doesn’t mean porky pig did too.

    While king of the hill isn’t the same kind of animation because of it’s sitcom nature, voice actors have a different kind of job because of the nature of animation as a storytelling form. The way Hank Azaria can play a dozen different characters in a single series, if he’s unable to do one and a new actor is brought in, it doesn’t take anything away from his previous work, or the character (at least not if they hire a skilled actor).

    Do we write Kermit off the Muppets when his voice actor changes or dies? Not that the Muppet show is ongoing, but if it got brought back, no way do they wipe out a character that intrinsic to the show.

    Dale is no more or less sacred than any other animated character.

    Like you said, they went with someone that knows the show and has the talent to pull off a voice created by someone else. So it’s all good