If you’ve spent any time in Arlen, Texas, you know the voice. It’s confident. It’s slightly nasal. It is entirely convinced that it is the smartest person in the room, even when it’s mispronouncing "en espanol" for the thousandth time. We’re talking about Peggy Hill, the substitute teacher, boggle champion, and unintentional chaos agent of King of the Hill.
But who is actually behind that iconic, often infuriating, and always hilarious vocal performance?
Kathy Najimy: The Powerhouse Behind the Platter
The woman who voices Peggy Hill is none other than Kathy Najimy. Honestly, if you grew up in the 90s, you’ve seen her everywhere. She isn't just a voice in a booth; Najimy is a comedic heavyweight. Most people recognize her immediately as Mary Sanderson from the cult classic Hocus Pocus or the bubbly Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act.
She brought that same high-energy, character-driven commitment to Peggy for 13 seasons. Najimy didn't just read the lines. She built a persona. She won an Annie Award in 2001 for her work on the show, which is basically the Oscars for animation.
Najimy's Peggy is a masterclass in "delusional confidence." It takes a specific kind of talent to make a character sound so certain while being so fundamentally wrong. Whether Peggy is claiming she discovered the "secret" to making apple pie (nutmeg, apparently) or trying to explain Texas law to a judge in Mexico, Najimy’s delivery makes the arrogance feel human.
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It Wasn’t Always Peggy Hill
Before she was the matriarch of Rainey Street, Kathy Najimy was already a pioneer. In the mid-80s, she teamed up with Mo Gaffney for The Kathy & Mo Show. They did feminist comedy that was way ahead of its time. It was sharp. It was raw. It eventually landed on HBO and put Najimy on the map.
When Mike Judge and Greg Daniels were casting King of the Hill in the late 90s, they needed someone who could balance Peggy’s narcissism with genuine warmth. It’s a tough needle to thread. If Peggy is too mean, the show becomes depressing. If she’s too sweet, she’s not funny. Najimy found that middle ground where Peggy is annoying to us, but clearly the love of Hank Hill’s life.
Why the Voice Matters So Much
Animation is weird. You don't have facial expressions or body language to rely on in the same way. All the emotion has to live in the throat. For Peggy, the voice is her armor.
Think about the way she says "Ho yeah!" It’s not just a catchphrase; it’s a declaration of victory. Najimy gives Peggy a specific cadence—authoritative yet fragile. When Peggy gets humbled (which happens a lot), the voice drops. The bravado cracks. It’s in those moments that you realize Peggy isn't a villain; she’s just a woman who desperately wants to be special in a town that values "average" above all else.
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Peggy Hill’s Massive Impact (and That Feet Gag)
One of the longest-running jokes on the show is Peggy’s size 16 feet. It’s a point of deep shame for her, and Najimy plays that insecurity beautifully. Most of the time, Peggy acts like she’s a genius, but the "foot stuff" reveals her deep-seated fear of being unfeminine or "too much."
Fans love to hate her. Some people find her so insufferable they skip her episodes. They point to the time she accidentally kidnapped a Mexican child or the way she gets jealous of Bobby’s cooking. But critics, like those at Collider and Whitney Teal, have recently started re-evaluating her. They argue she’s a "white middle-class flavor of cognitive dissonance." Basically, she’s a product of her environment—a woman who was told she was mediocre by her mother and spent the rest of her life trying to prove everyone wrong.
Beyond Arlen: Where Else Is Kathy Najimy?
If you think she stopped after the Hill family went off the air, you haven't been paying attention. Najimy has stayed incredibly busy.
- WALL-E: She voiced Mary, one of the humans on the Axiom.
- Veep: She played Wendy Keegan.
- Younger: She appeared as Lauren’s mom.
- Hocus Pocus 2: She returned as Mary Sanderson in 2022, proving she hasn't lost her comedic timing.
She’s also a massive activist. She’s been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, body positivity, and animal welfare for decades. She’s the kind of person who uses her platform for more than just a paycheck.
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The Return of the Hill Family
With the King of the Hill revival officially happening at Hulu, the big question was whether the original cast would return. Great news: Kathy Najimy is back.
It’s going to be fascinating to see a 2026 version of Peggy Hill. How does she handle social media? Is she a TikTok "expert" now? Does she think she’s a lifestyle influencer? Given the way the world has changed since 2010, the writers have a goldmine of material to work with, and Najimy is the only person who could possibly bring those scripts to life.
Real-World Takeaways for Fans
If you're a fan of the show or just curious about the craft of voice acting, here is what you should keep in mind about Kathy Najimy's legacy as Peggy:
- Character over Caricature: Peggy works because she feels like a real person you might meet at a PTA meeting, not just a cartoon.
- Voice as Identity: The way a character speaks tells you more about their psychology than what they actually say.
- Longevity: Najimy has voiced this character for nearly 30 years (with a break in the middle). That kind of consistency is rare in Hollywood.
If you want to dive deeper into the world of Arlen before the reboot drops, go back and watch "Lupe's Revenge" in Season 6. It is the peak Peggy Hill episode. It shows her at her most arrogant, her most vulnerable, and her most legally compromised. It’s also Kathy Najimy’s favorite kind of performance—one where the character is 100% sure they're doing the right thing while the world collapses around them.
Next Steps for You
Check out Kathy Najimy's recent interviews about the revival to see how she’s preparing to step back into Peggy’s orthopedic shoes. You can also rewatch the original series on Hulu to catch the subtle nuances in her performance that you might have missed when you were a kid.