While Peggy Hill has frequently been the target of fan criticism, her long-time voice actor, Kathy Najimy, has expressed surprise at the extent of the character's unpopularity. In a recent interview discussing the return of King of the Hill, Najimy revealed her unawareness of the significant negative sentiment surrounding the character.
Online discussions, particularly on the King of the Hill subreddit, highlight common criticisms of Peggy, often citing her ego, arrogance, and narcissistic tendencies. One notable example of her flawed decision-making was an episode from the original series run where her field trip to Mexico resulted in the accidental kidnapping of a Mexican child. More recently, an episode in the new season saw her interfere with Bobby's experience at a restaurant by meddling with a food critic.
Despite these instances, Najimy defended the character, questioning "What mother doesn’t meddle in her kids’ business?" She also suggested that there is a segment of the audience that appreciates Peggy's personality, stating, "I think there’s a whole group of people on the other side who love Peggy for being snappy and snarky and telling the truth."
Toby Huss, who voices Dale Gribble in the series, supported Najimy's perspective, emphasizing the human and flawed nature of King of the Hill's characters. He noted that while Peggy's actions can sometimes be cringeworthy, the character ultimately retains her humanity. "These characters are wonderfully human, and if you're wonderfully human, you're flawed in a lot of ways," Huss said. "And Peggy, as great as she is, you can see her going in a really flawed direction that can be cringey. [But] she doesn't stay there. She pulls it back and she retains her humanity, as do all the characters."
Najimy concluded by acknowledging that audiences are free to feel as they wish about Peggy, but she maintains a positive view of the character. The article's author aligns with this sentiment, positing that Peggy's uniquely bold and often misguided actions lead to more engaging storylines than typically found with matriarchs in other adult animated sitcoms. The continued streaming of King of the Hill season 15 is available on Hulu.