King Of The Hill: The True Story Behind Tom Petty's Lucky Role
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.
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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
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