Beloved character actor Toby Huss has been voicing characters on King of the Hill since its original run, including Hank Hill's late father Cotton Hill, and of course, Hank's frenemy neighbor Kahn Souphanousinphone Sr., a character who emigrated to Arlen from Laos. Huss, who is white, has now left the role of Khan behind in the show's revival, with actor Ronnie Chieng of Crazy Rich Asians fame taking over. And according to Huss in a new interview with THR, that's just a sign that we're in a "much better place to be as a society and as a culture."
"I liked the fact that we're asking these questions now culturally that we didn't ask back in '97, or if we did, they weren't very loud," Huss explains. "Now we are, and I think it's a much better place to be as a society and as a culture to ask and then give some answers. And if the answers mean you have to make some corrections, let's make some corrections."
Huss does have a cameo reprising his role as Cotton Hill in a flashback in the newly released season 14, while also taking up the role of Dale Gribble, originally voiced by Johnny Hardwick, who passed away in 2023. Hardwick did record some episodes of the new season before his passing, with Huss filling in the rest.
"In terms of Dale, I think I did one read through where I read Dale in the room, and they just thought, 'Well, hell, I guess Toby is close enough. Let's let him do it.' But it was a really sweet and humbling thing for them to ask," he states.
"We were thrilled as a cast that it was one of our own, that it was going to stay in the family," adds fellow voice actor Lauren Tom, while Steven Root, who voices Bill Dauterive, states "Nobody could replace Johnny, but Toby could further Johnny's wonderfulness."
King of the Hill season 14 is now streaming on Hulu. Check out our review, and while we wait for the already announced season 15, check out our picks for the best King of the Hill episodes of all time. And for more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2025 and beyond.
