King of The Hill supplemented its core cast with truly impressive supporting roles, including frequent guest appearances by Tom Petty as Elroy “Lucky” Kleinschmidt. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who died in 2017, lent his voice to 28 episodes of King of the Hill, beginning in 2004. As Luanne’s main love interest in the series, Lucky represented a laissez-faire approach to life that was concurrently wise and unassuming.
As Arlen’s lowkey philosophical redneck and Luanne’s future husband, Lucky represented qualities of southern living that were largely well-received during his five-year term on King of the Hill. His approach to life, though conventionally flawed, provided his neighbors with alternative viewpoints. The character’s plotlines and dialogue were effortlessly delivered by Petty, who was not entirely green to the world of acting, having made appearances in several other TV series and a notable cameo as an implied version of himself in The Postman.
Series creator Mike Judge revealed Lucky’s origins to the Chicago Tribune in 2009 as a character written by showrunner John Altschuler. Lucky was conceived as a version of Petty "without the success." The rocker, known for his largely amiable personality, readily agreed to take the role and volunteered his time for future guest spots. Viewers first met Lucky in King of the Hill season 8, episode 21, “The Redneck on Rainey Street,” as one of many new friends Kahn Souphanousinphone (Toby Huss), encounters in his journey towards a good ol’ boy lifestyle. Shortly after, Lucky charms Luanne (Brittany Murphy) with his sweet disposition and a tricked out, “pretty pretty” pickup truck. Petty also voiced Lucky’s friend Mud Dobber for most of the series, before King of the Hill ended after season 13.
Humor seemed to come naturally for Petty, whether he played a testy and egotistical parody of himself on The Larry Sanders Show or did his best to rein in Homer and the Springfield crew as an altruistic songwriting teacher in The Simpsons season 14, episode 2, “How I Spent My Strummer Vacation.” Petty wasn’t a consistent actor, and his only recurring role in any TV series was on King of the Hill. In season 9, episode 10, “Arlen City Bomber,” Lucky reveals to Bobby Hill (Pamela Adlon) the spiritual awakening that follows eating a corn chip fresh off the factory line. The iconic young King of the Hill character is a foodie at heart and experiences this life-altering event courtesy of Lucky’s favorite form of conflict resolution: threatening a personal injury lawsuit. Petty earnestly sells the absurdity of his scheme to fulfill Bobby’s wish with a pun-infused zinger, telling his girlfriend’s cousin, “I’m gonna help you run down that dream, Bobby,” referencing the title of Petty’s 1989 solo hit "Runnin' Down a Dream.”
Lucky’s easy-going life philosophy extended into matters of religion. Lucky trusted people to worship their god wherever felt right to them, whether inside a church or a bar on Sundays. When Hank struggles to find a new church after a pew seating dispute in season 10’s “Church Hopping,” Lucky poignantly — and somewhat crassly — indicates that, to him, God is wherever a person finds themselves. He tells the Hills, “I’m worshippin’ when I’m drinkin’ a beer, diggin’ a hole, or fishin’ for trout.”
The King of the Hill revival could potentially feature a recasting of Lucky, or better yet, writers may find a way to send Lucky and Luanne riding Lucky’s truck into the sunset. Petty, who famously stood for musicians’ rights, fit the role of Lucky like a glove. The character valued free will, from the right to rev his truck down any alleyway, if he so chose, or to file a lawsuit against any unsuspecting, deeply lined corporate pocket. The King of the Hill reboot will be hard-pressed to match the original pairing of Petty and Lucky.