King Of The Hill Reboot Writer Hints At The Return Of A Fan-Favorite Character
Saladin Patterson speaks about his return.
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TV News: Creator Mike Judge Reviving King of the Hill
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King of the Hill
Several key characters, including Khan and Joseph, will be voiced by new actors.By
Allison DeGrushe
Published on August 4, 2025 06:00PM EDT
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‘King of the Hill’ cast.Credit:
Everett Collection
- King of the Hill is back with a new 10-episode season after 15 years off the air.
- Original cast members Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, and Pamela Adlon will reprise their roles.
- Kahn, Joseph, and Ted, among other characters, will be voiced by new actors.
Back in their old neighborhood, the Hills reconnect with familiar faces and catch up with their son, Bobby (Pamela Adlon), who's working as a chef in Dallas and figuring out life in his 20s with his group of friends.
While much of the original voice cast is back, it lacks Brittany Murphy, who died in 2009. And then there's Johnny Hardwick, the voice of Dale Gribble, who died in 2023. Showrunner Saladin K. Patterson confirmed to Entertainment Weekly at San Diego Comic-Con last month that Hardwick recorded six episodes of the new season prior to his passing.
So, who's back and who's new in Arlen? Read on for EW's full cast and character guide to the King of the Hill revival.
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Mike Judge as Hank Hill and Jeff Boomhauer
Mike Judge at San Diego Comic-Con in 2025; Jeff Boomhauer and Hank Hill on ‘King of the Hill’.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty; Hulu
In addition to his voice work, Mike Judge is the co-creator of King of the Hill, as well as the zeitgeist-defining Beavis and Butt-Head (1993–1997, 2011, 2022–present) and HBO hit Silicon Valley (2014–2019).
In addition to his TV work, Judge wrote and directed the films Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) and Office Space (1999), and recently co-wrote the screenplay for Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe (2022).
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On the King of the Hill revival, Judge reprises his original roles as Hank Hill and Jeff Boomhauer.
The series finds Hank retiring to Arlen after spending several years in Saudi Arabia as an assistant manager in charge of propane and propane accessories. But the town (and the world) has changed, leaving him out of step as he tries to find his way in a very different town than the one he left behind.
"Hank kinda liked that women were covered up and modest [in Saudi Arabia]," Judge said during the ATX Television Festival in May 2025 (via Indiewire). "He comes back and there’s a bike lane and a scooter lane. […] He's looking at all the stuff that’s happened in the last 15 years, and there's a whole world of things that would annoy Hank."
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Kathy Najimy as Peggy Hill
Kathy Najimy at the WMC 2024 Women's Media Awards in 2024; Peggy Hill on ‘King of the Hill’.
Craig Barritt/Getty; 20th Century Fox
Beloved for playing Mary Sanderson in Hocus Pocus (1993) and its 2022 sequel, Kathy Najimy is also known for films like Sister Act (1992), The Wedding Planner (2001), WALL-E (2008), and the holiday romcom Single All the Way (2021).
On TV, she's best known for playing Olive Massery on Veronica's Closet (1997–2000) and, of course, for voicing Peggy Hill on King of the Hill.
In the revival, Najimy returns as Peggy, who's also retired and settling back into life in Arlen.
"Peggy is a character who feels she can do anything, and now she has the free time to do it," showrunner Saladin K. Patterson explained during the ATX panel. "So we get to see Peggy try some new things to see what post-retirement life looks like for her. But at the end of the day, this is still going to be about their relationship, supporting each other, and encouraging each other. We just have a little fun with their neuroses."
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Stephen Root as Bill Dauterive
Stephen Root at the 'Heads of State' premiere in 2025; Bill Dauterive on ‘King of the Hill’.
TheStewartofNY/WireImage; Hulu
A true character actor, Stephen Root memorably played billionaire Jimmy James on NewsRadio (1995–1999) and appeared in Judge's Office Space (1999) as the stapler-loving firebug Milton.
On the big screen, Root has collaborated numerous times with the Coen Brothers ( O Brother, Where Art Thou?, No Country For Old Men) and appeared in hits like Dodgeball (2004), Get Out (2017), and the action-comedy Heads of State (2025).
In recent years, he scored an Emmy nomination for his turn as the cold-blooded Monroe Fuchs on HBO's Barry (2019–2023).
Next, he'll share the screen with Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista in the buddy cop comedy The Wrecking Crew.
Root reprises his role as the lovable (and unlucky-in-love) Bill Dauterive. The actor previously told ScreenRant that it was "really easy to step back into that character," adding, "I think Bill is now part of me after 200 shows before this."
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Pamela Adlon as Bobby Hill
Pamela Adlon at Series Mania 2025 in Lille, France; Bobby Hill on ‘King of the Hill’.
Sabastien Courdji/Getty; Hulu
Pamela Adlon won an Emmy in 2002 for voicing Bobby Hill, and received further acclaim as the co-creator and star of FX's Better Things (2016–2022), including a Peabody Award.
Adlon is also known for her starring role on Showtime's Californication (2007–2014), and supporting roles in films like Bumblebee (2018), and The King of Staten Island (2020). In 2024, she stepped behind the camera for her feature directorial debut, Babes, starring Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau.
Now, Adlon is back as Bobby Hill, who's officially all grown up and working at a sushi restaurant called Robata Chane. Adlon teased at ATX that adult Bobby has "become more centered and almost a little bit more like his dad."
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Johnny Hardwick and Toby Huss as Dale Gribble
Johnny Hardwick; Dale Gribble on ‘King of the Hill’; Toby Huss.
johnnyhardwick/YouTube; Hulu; Savion Washington/FilmMagic
Johnny Hardwick wasn't just the voice behind Dale Gribble — he was also a writer, story editor, and producer on King of the Hill, helping shape the world of Arlen from every angle.
Hardwick, who died on Aug. 8, 2023, only recorded six episodes of the new season prior to his death. After that, longtime King of the Hill voice actor Toby Huss stepped in to carry the torch.
Fans will remember Huss as the voice of Kahn Souphanousinphone, Cotton Hill, and various other characters from the original run.
Huss told EW that Hardwick's Dale "is one of a kind," adding, "I'm not taking over anything, I'm just trying to do some justice to his voice."
At ATX, Huss teased that the exterminator has undergone a bit of a political evolution. "Dale now is a little bit left of right, where he used to be all the way right," he said. "Now he's been out-righted by the right with the conspiracy theory stuff. We'll see how Dale reacts to the new world."
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Ashley Gardner as Nancy Gribble
Nancy Gribble on 'King of the Hill'; Ashley Gardner.Fox; Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage
Prior to King of the Hill, Ashley Gardner played Marion, Kramer's girlfriend in the season 3 Seinfeld episode, "The Library." She's landed guest roles on plenty of other shows, too, like The Drew Carey Show (1998), ER (2002), and Malcolm in the Middle (2005).
Gardner reprises her role as Nancy Gribble, Dale's wife, Joseph's mom, and John Redcorn's lover.
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Ronny Chieng as Kahn Souphanousinphone
Ronny Chieng at 'The Tonight Show' in 2025; Khan Souphanousinphone on ‘King of the Hill’.
Todd Owyoung/NBC/Getty; Hulu
Ronny Chieng, known for his work on The Daily Show (2015–present), has also made a name for himself with roles in the movies Crazy Rich Asians (2018), M3GAN (2023), and Joy Ride (2023).
Up next, he'll star alongside Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen on the Peacock comedy series The Miniature Wife.
Chieng replaces Toby Huss as the voice of Kahn Souphanousinphone. Patterson told EW that the revival's creative team "got very lucky in being able to have so many people who were big fans of the show, like Ronnie Chieng, who grew up watching the show. He was a fan of it and came and joined us."
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Lauren Tom as Connie and Minh Souphanousinphone
Minh Souphanousinphone on ‘King of the Hill’; Lauren Tom at San Diego-Comic Con in 2025; Connie Souphanousinphone on ‘King of the Hill’.
Hulu; Katie Flores/Variety/Getty; Hulu
Lauren Tom is best-known for her role as the infamous Julie on Friends (1995–1996), as well as for her appearances on Supernatural (2012–2014) and Andi Mack (2017–2019).
She is also a prolific voice actress, lending her voice to characters on Rocket Power (1999–2004), Futurama (1999–present), Teen Titans Go! (2013–present), and more.
Tom reprises her roles as Connie and Minh Souphanousinphone on the King of the Hill revival. At ATX (per Comicbook.com), she revealed that Connie, now older, is "much more open" and "open-minded" than before. The actress also shared that Connie is currently in college, majoring in engineering.
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Tai Leclaire as Joseph Gribble
Tai Leclaire at the 2023 Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival; Joseph Gribble on ‘King of the Hill’.
Monica Schipper/Getty; Hulu
Known as a filmmaker and comedian, Tai Leclaire has written for Rutherford Falls (2021–2022) and directed several short films, including The Prince and the Pauper and Reframed: Next Gen Narratives.
On the King of the Hill revival, Leclaire takes voicing Joseph Gribble, Bobby's half-Native best friend, from Breckin Meyer.
Sharing his excitement on Instagram, Leclaire said, "I grew up with the show and when I found out I got to submit a tape for it I freaked out. It was a blind audition so I had no idea who I was going in for. What I thought was just a guest spot on one episode transformed into two years of incredible work."
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Kenneth Choi as Ted Wassanasong
Kenneth Choi at the 2025 Disney Upfront in New York City; Ted Wassanasong on ‘King of the Hill’.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Disney/Mike Judge
Fans likely recognize Kenneth Choi from Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014) and 9-1-1 (2018–2025), and they can soon catch him appearing opposite Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson in the upcoming screenlife sci-fi thriller Mercy.
Choi steps in to replace Huss as the voice of Ted Wassanasong, the Laotian-American businessman and financial backer of Bobby's restaurant on the King of the Hill revival.
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Ki Hong Lee as Chane Wassanasong
Ki Hong Lee at the 'Little America' season 2 premiere in 2022; Chane Wassanasong on ‘King of the Hill’.
Steven Simione/Getty Images; Disney/Mike Judge
Ki Hong Lee sprinted through the Maze Runner films (2014–2018) as Minho and brought a lot of laughs as Dong Nguyen on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015–2016).
Now, he replaces Adlon as the voice of Ted's son, Chane Wassanasong. Chane was Bobby's childhood bully, but he's since become Bobby's business partner.
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Keith David as Brian Robertson
Keith David at the 2025 American Music Awards in Las Vegas; Brian Robertson on ‘King of the Hill’.
Taylor Hill/Getty; Disney/Mike Judge
Keith David is a true legend, having built a formidable career spanning more than four decades and 400 roles. From classics like The Thing (1982), They Live (1988), and Armageddon (1998) to recent hits like American Fiction (2023), David has proven an enduring presence on screens big and small.
As an award-winning voice actor, his work includes The Princess and the Frog (2009), Rick and Morty (2015–present), and Krapopolis (2023–present). He even voices a fictional version of himself in the Saint's Row video game series (2006–2017).
Next, he'll star alongside Ethan Hawke and Kyle MacLachlan on the FX series The Lowdown. David is also set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
On the King of the Hill revival, David voices Brian Robertson, the tenant who moved into the Hill house while Hank and Peggy were away in Saudi Arabia.
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Anthony "Citric" Campos as Emilio
Anthony 'Citric' Campos in Los Angeles in 2024; Emilio on ‘King of the Hill’.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; Disney/Mike Judge
Anthony "Citric" Campos has collaborated with Judge before, appearing in the cult classic Idiocracy (2006) and on Silicon Valley (2014).
Hardcore fans might even remember his voice cameo as Enrique's brother-in-law in a 2005 episode of King of the Hill. But Campos is perhaps best-known for his role as Manolo on Lopez (2016–2017).
On the King of the Hill revival, Campos voices Emilio, a chef working with Bobby in Dallas. On July 24, he took to Instagram to celebrate the news, saying he's "proud & honored to be working on this legendary show."
Where can I watch King of the Hill?
'King of the Hill'.
Mike Judge/Disney
King of the Hill is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
I missed old Hank. I binged it this morning, it was good and had me laughing and rewinding at times. Especially when Bill started hanging at the black barber shop. Good shit.
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