A veteran of the standup circuit and a frequent performer at such Lone Star State hot spots as the Dallas Improv and the Velveeta Room, comic Johnny Hardwick was performing at the Laff Factory in Los Angeles when writer/producer/director Greg Daniels caught his act and saw him as a perfect fit for the Mike Judge animated series King of the Hill. Not only was Hardwick hired on as a writer for the Emmy-winning series, but he was cast as the recurring character of Dale Gribble -- among others -- as well.