Bill Dauterive

Bill Dauterive (born William Fontaine de La Tour Dauterive, otherwise known as French for "William Fountain of the Tower of the High Bank"; June 22, 1957) is a fictional character on the Fox animated series King of the Hill. He is the Hills' overweight, divorced, and clinically depressed neighbor, voiced by Stephen Root and named for series producer Jim Dauterive. 2Production Stephen Root used his background in Southern theater to help him develop the voice of Bill. Root attended the University of Florida, and had performed in Southern plays in New York City prior to being chosen for the role. He originally auditioned for the role of Dale Gribble, which "didn't feel right" so he then auditioned for Bill. 2Personality Bill is indicated as coming from an upper-class Cajun family in Louisiana (the family lived on a vast estate called the Chateau D'Haute Rive ("castle on the high bank") until his cousin Gilbert was forced to sell it). He speaks fluent Cajun French and plays the accordion skillfully, which surprises him just as much as it does everyone else. His father was abusive, spanking him regularly, locking him in a rabbit hutch and making him wear dresses (Bill attempts to justify these actions when he mentions them), As of the season 2 episode "The Final Shinsult," Bill's father is presumably still alive (though slowing down in his later years), based upon Bill's remark to Hank that his father "can't even load a hunting rifle anymore," with Bill further commenting that he has to "practically put it in his hands and pull the trigger." By the time of the season 4 episode "A Beer Can Named Desire," Bill's only living male relative is his dandified cousin Gilbert, who still lives in Louisiana. By season 11, the two are guardians of the family's secret barbecue sauce recipe, which Gilbert refuses to allow Bill to sell. (However, Bill eventually gives the recipe to Bobby Hill so he can pass it on to his children, thus keeping the Dauterive tradition alive