Johnny Hardwick, known for playing the character of Dale Gribble on King of the Hill has sadly died, according to reports.
Hardwick was a renowned comedian, who started his stand-up comedy in 1990 in Texas before landing his shot on The Jon Stewart Show a few years later.
As per TMZ, law enforcement officials were called to Hardwick's Texas home on Wednesday for a welfare check, and they discovered his body.
The beloved actor was declared dead at the scene, and foul play has been ruled out at this time. There is currently no cause of death.
Hardwick's character played across from the show lead, Hank Hill, as a conspiracy theory-loving friend who was always on hand to offer some laughs.
Gribble was forever changing what he did for a job, with some examples being exterminator, camp counselor, bounty hunter, and famously a propane salesman.
Out of the 259 episodes of King of the Hill that aired, Hardwick's voice was featured in 258 of them, proving that he was a longstanding member of the team.
Featuring in the first episode in 1997, the actor remained part of the furniture in the show until its conclusion in 2010.
The show is reported to be having a revival, with Hardwick reportedly set on returning - though it's unclear whether he got to do this before his passing.
Alongside his work on the popular show, the actor could often be found recording songs for his YouTube channel, often dressed as his character from King of the Hill.
As per Entertainment Weekly, King of the Hill is set to return on Hulu with all of the original cast returning, though it is now unclear whether this will proceed with Hardwick's untimely passing.
On the reboot, the executive vice president of 20th Television Animation, Marci Proietto said: "I'm so lucky to have been a part of this show from the very beginning and couldn't be more excited to visit Arlen, Texas, once again with Mike, Greg, and Saladin, who together are bringing a whole new perspective to the original series.
"We all want to thank the fans for their overwhelming support because they helped make this happen, and I can't wait to share this new iteration through the lens of 2023 America. In the words of our beloved Peggy Hill: 'Ho yeah!'"
Fans have flocked to social media to offer their tributes to Hardwick, as one person penned: "We’ve had so many deaths this year. King Of The Hill was a good show! Condolences to Johnny Hardwick’s family and friends."
A second added: "My son just discovered King of the Hill a few weeks ago and has been burning through the entire series. We were talking the other day about best characters, and Dale was up there. RIP."
While a third said: "Cancel the reboot. It was going to be hard enough without Luann and Lucky but without Dale it’ll feel so empty."
Our thoughts are with Hardwick's loved ones and fans at this time.
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