King Of The Hill Star’s Cause Of Death Only Adds To Tragedy

Sadly, this is one more mystery that applies to Johnny Hardwick’s death. The details of what we already knew were already mysterious enough: for example, he was found dead in his bathtub and the water was running, but his drain was still open. 

His body was not submerged in water, and this detail makes it seem like Hardwick suddenly died after he began to draw himself a bath. While the actor’s toxicology report indicated a “presumptive positive test for cannabinoids” and drugs were found at the scene, the previous autopsy report didn’t reveal what the drugs were.

No foul play is suspected in the death of Johnny Hardwick, but almost everyone involved was surprised at the actor’s appearance when his body was discovered. Texas police officers came to the actor’s home in August to perform a wellness check, and that was when they discovered his dead body. He weighed only 100 pounds at the time of discovery, and that was simply way too thin for the 5”7 actor, prompting further speculation about health and lifestyle leading up to his sudden death.

With all that being said, fans, friends, and family were hoping to learn something more definitive about how and why Johnny Hardwick died. However, his body had experienced “extensive decompositional changes” that made determining the exact cause of death impossible. Foul play is still ruled out, but it seems like Hardwick might have taken the exact answer to this particular mystery to the grave.

Fortunately, we can all remember Johnny Hardwick through his body of work. While he appeared in one film, one documentary, and one short, Hardwick is primarily remembered for voicing Dale Gribble in an astonishing 258 episodes of King of the Hill. There is a chance we will hear him again: series creator Mike Judge has expressed how “deeply saddened” he is at the death of Hardwick, but he never positively indicated whether or not Hardwick had recorded any lines for the King of the Hill reboot before he died.

While we’re looking forward to that show, the truth is that even if Johnny Hardwick recorded dialogue before he passed, the success of the reboot will eventually require recasting this iconic part. Such recasting always has the potential to generate major controversy (go ask Rick & Morty fans if you don’t believe us), and we can only hope that a new actor is a suitable replacement.

Furthermore, we hope everyone who felt touched by the life and career of Johnny Hardwick can take comfort from the fact that his most famous role will continue to be recognized and loved long after the tragic death of this talented actor.