Bill Dauterive
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Bill Dauterive (voiced by Stephen Root) is a character in the animated series King of the Hill. He is a sergeant in the United States Army, and serves as a barber at Fort Blanda near Arlen.
[edit] Biography
Bill was born in 1959 as William Fontaine De La Tour D'auterive to a wealthy Cajun family, and lived in Louisiana until he was six years old. In Episode 66 ("A Beer Can Named Desire"), Bill and his friends visited his family's estate, "Château d’Haute Rive" ("Manor of the High (river) Bank"). Owing to his roots in the bayou, Bill is fluent in Cajun French (he was himself unaware of this, but upon traveling back through Louisiana, he instinctively begins to speak it).
In high school, Bill played offensive line, but also held and currently shares ownership of the touchdown record since he was used as a goal line running back.
Bill's life can be described simply: what football did not take, the Army did and virtually anything remaining was taken by his ex-wife, Lenore. Bill is little more than the shell of the person he was in high school, and as a result his friends are rather protective of him. He is overweight, bald, socially awkward, to the point that people have mistaken him for retarded, including doctors at the mental hospital from which he tried to remove Boomhauer. In one episode, he is quoted as saying "I mainly just know about possums". He has poor hygiene and even worse self-esteem. He has often been seen openly weeping, displaying inappropriate behaviors such as dancing with a mop and burying porno in the Hills' backyard, and has even gone through some suicidal periods.
Much like the narrator in The Raven, Bill pines for his ex-wife, Lenore. For many years, Bill held on to the faint hope that the man-eating, selfish Lenore would come back to him before finally coming to terms with his wife’s departure. As a consequence of his divorce, Bill becomes extremely attached to people or objects for whom he has affection, almost to the point of suffocation. In the episode "Bill of Sales", Peggy learns that Bill can only respect people who are verbally abusive to him. In spite of his drawbacks, Bill can be inspirational at times. Boomhauer was once pulled out of a deep depression by an encouraging speech from Bill. Bill also managed, after a very long time, to get over Lenore. But this required Bill to undergo an almost complete mental breakdown when, on one too many Christmas holidays passed with Lenore not making an appearance, Bill finally snaps into believing he is Lenore by dressing in her clothes and speaking in a falsetto voice. But thanks to Hank, Bill finally snaps out of it and this is only furthered when he runs into Lenore after years of not seeing her, after which he realizes that she's no good. As a result, Bill deliberately moons her right in the face at a cookout, humiliating her.
The cause for Bill's slovenly and overweight condition was briefly thought to have stemmed from his involvement as an Army test subject from 1982-1984. The drugs administered in the test were intended to create an elite group of Arctic commandos with walrus-like capabilities that would be deployed in the event of war if the Soviet Union were to invade the United States via Alaska. It was later discovered that Bill was injected with placebos.
In high school, Bill (nicknamed, "the Billdozer") was Arlen High's career leader in touchdowns, and held the distinction for over 20 years. He loses the record to running back Ricky Suggs in the fourth season episode "Bills are Made to be Broken", which was inspired by the true story of University of Connecticut basketball star Nykesha Sales. Suggs breaks Bill's record on a broken leg when the other team sympathetically allows Suggs to score the record-breaking touchdown. This causes Bill a great deal of distress since he feels his crowning achievement in life, that record, was lost unfairly. Since he never finished high school (due to his joining the U.S. Army in the fall of 1974, before that season ended), Bill is allowed back on the team for one game in order to try for the record. In a game-winning drive, he scores one final touchdown to tie the record with Suggs. He was given the opportunity to break the record again, but refused, saying that he only wanted to make things fair again (and due to the fact he had broken, bruised, or otherwise maimed several parts of his body during the drive for the goal line).
Like his friends and high school classmates Hank Hill, Dale Gribble, and Boomhauer, he frequently drinks Alamo beer in the alley behind Hank's house. Bill once salvaged a couch discarded by Kahn, which was then accessorized and used by Bill, Hank, Dale and Boomhauer in the alley; it subsequently "disappeared", ending up in his living room.
[edit] Trivia
- The character is named after King of the Hill writer and producer Jim Dauterive.
- Despite having a pathetic reputation, Bill has had several romantic escapades which include:
- Kahn's mother Laoma Souphanousinphone
- Luanne's psychotic mother Leanne.
- A woman who had been released from prison.
- Former Texas governor Ann Richards.
- The widows of two of his deceased cousins (and also, nearly his actual cousin).
- A police officer.
- Bill also has a long-standing infatuation with Peggy Hill (but in one episode is repulsed by a kiss on the cheek from her), although his affection is unrequited.
- Stephen Root, who provides Bill's voice, originally auditioned for the role of Dale. Root was not listed in the credits during the time he was simultaneously working on NewsRadio.
- Bill stands 5' 8 3/4" (1.73 m) in height.
- Lenore left Bill "in the year of our Lord, 1991".
- Apparently Bill favors a flat tax.
- Bill once claimed to the Arlen High football team that his parents were dead, although they are said to be alive in "A Beer Can Named Desire"
- Bill lies about his usage of pornography.
- Bill's name is tattooed in the back of Hank's head, which is discovered when he accidentally gives the boys head lice and infuriates Hank. Thanks to Boomhauer, he reveals the history behind the tattoo and its importance when years ago, a young Bill was ready to leave for Army bootcamp and he had one last night out with the boys. A drunken Hank accidentally has a misunderstanding with a tough-looking biker at a bar, of which Bill immediately comes to Hank's rescue by literally blocking the bikers from attacking Hank.
- Bill strongly dislikes his father, commonly calling him a "bastard".
- Bill tends to get hit in the crotch a lot.
- For the longest time, he had a crush on Peggy. We find out it was because she has the most disdain for him. But at one point, when she started being nice to him, he simply lost interest.
- Bill's name in French is roughly "William Fountain of the Tower on the High Riverbank".
- The 110th is a unit (most likely the primary unit) at Fort Blanda, where Bill works. A Major General (most likely, but not necessarily, the base commander) allows only Bill to cut his hair.
[edit] External links
- FOX Broadcasting Company: King of the Hill
- King of the Hill at TV.com
- The King of the Hill Quotes Page
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| Hills and Platter: | Hank | Peggy | Bobby | Luanne Platter | Cotton | Tilly | Ladybird |
| Gribbles: | Dale | Joseph | Nancy |
| Souphanousinphones: | Kahn | Minh | Connie |
| Other characters: | Boomhauer | Bill | John Redcorn | M. F. Thatherton | Chuck Mangione | Monsignor Martinez |
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| Miscellaneous: | Alamo Beer | Manger Babies | Mega Lo Mart | Strickland Propane |
| Media: | King of the Hill DVDs | List of King of the Hill episodes |
