A few of the original cast members ofKing of the Hillhave passed away in recent years, but Stephen Root (Bill Dauterive) explained how the upcoming revival persevered without them. After nearly 16 years, arevival ofKing of the Hillis nearly out with a premiere date of August 4. Unfortunately, three of the show’s original actors - Johnny Hardwick (Dale Gribble), Brittany Murphy (Luanne) and Jonathan Joss (John Redcorn) - passed away before the revival could air.
During an interview withScreen Rant’s Grant Hermanns forResident Alienseason 4, Stephen Root spoke aboutKing of the Hillseason 14 and the passing of Murphy, Hardwick, and Joss.Root mentioned that though some of the cast members ofKing of the Hillhave passed away, the revival still felt like family affair.
Well, it was really easy to step back into that character, because I think Bill is now part of me after 200 shows before this. But what’s exciting about this show and Saladin [K. Patterson], our showrunner for these two seasons, has made it a contemporary show with problems that everybody dealt with through COVID. I think it changed everybody’s life a little bit, certainly did these characters, as well, since Mike decided, ‘Well, it’s been a long time. Let’s make it current.’ Bobby is now, what, 22? And he’s got his own business, and Hank and Peg have been through not living in the United States for a while, I can tell you that. They come back and deal with that. And obviously, we’ve had some people pass that did voices on the show, and that was hard. But most of the family is intact at this point, and even a couple of people that have passed are being done by people within the show. So, it still feels like a family thing for us, and we’re so happy to do it. But I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of William Fontaine de La Tour Dauterive. I think he’ll always be in there.
As Root mentioned, having some of the other original cast members perform the characters of voice actors who have passed away has helped.Toby Huss (Cotton Hill & Kahn) is voicing Dale Gribble in Johnny Hardwick’s stead, while Joss had completed recording several of John Redcorn’s lines before his death. Root also noted that after over 250 episodes, nothing could take him away fromKing of the Hill.
Root also mentioned that there’s a lot to look forward to inKing of the Hillseason 14.From an updated passage of time - Bobby is now in his mid-20s - to more current events like the COVID-19 pandemic, theKing of the Hillrevival should have some big changes in store. He may have even hinted at the rumoredKing of the Hillseason 15.
What Stephen Root’s Comments Mean For King Of The Hill Season 14
There’s Clearly A Lot Of Passion Involved In The King Of The Hill Revival
The biggest takeaway from Stephen Root’s comments is that theKing of the Hillrevival has a lot of love and passion going into it. Root himself called it a “family thing” to step back into the role of Bill after all these years, and his comments highlight just how tightly-knit the cast is.King of the Hillseason 14 is only happening because its creators and stars wanted it to happen.
Root’s comments also indicate that while they may be gone, Jonathan Joss, Johnny Hardwick, and Brittany Murphy will not be forgotten.King of the Hillseason 14 may have moved on, but Murphy, Hardwick, and Joss are integral parts of the show. They’ll be sorely missed, but as Root mentioned, theKing of the Hillfamily is still mostly intact.
Our Take On King Of The Hill Season 14 Continuing Without Hardwick & Joss
It’s never ideal for a show to go on after losing two of its main actors - especially actors who played characters as beloved as Dale, Luanne, and John Redcorn - but I think Stephen Root has the right idea.Hardwick, Murphy, and Joss are irreplaceable, but Root’s comments that theKing of the Hillfamily is getting through things together helps take away some of that sting.
I also think it was the right call to replace Hardwick with another original cast member in the form of Toby Huss.Finding a new voice actor to play Dale in theKing of the Hillrevival would have felt impersonal somehow, but having Huss step into the role makes it feel like this really is a family affair.
It’s not yet clear if Brittany Murphy is being recast as Luanne inKing of the Hillseason 14.
TheKing of the Hillrevival faced an impossible situation when two of its stars passed, but it handled those tragedies as well as it could have. This solution, coupled with Stephen Root’s comments, make it feel like Brittany Murphy, Johnny Hardwick, and Jonathan Joss are being honored inKing of the Hillseason 14.
