Before She Was on ‘King of the Hill,’ Pamela Adlon Was a Child Star

Before millions of viewers came to know Pamela Adlon as the unmistakable voice of Bobby Hill on King of the Hill, she was already building a résumé as a working child actress in the early ’80s. Born Pamela Segall in New York City on July 9, 1966, Adlon grew up in a creative household; her father, Donald Segall, was a television writer and producer, and she began doing voice work around the age of nine. Acting quickly followed, and by her mid-teens, she was landing steady television and film work.

One of Adlon’s earliest screen appearances came in the cult favorite Grease 2 in 1982, where she played Dolores, the younger sister of one of the Pink Ladies. Not long after, she popped up on several popular TV shows of the era, including a recurring role as Kelly Affinado on The Facts of Life during the 1983–84 season.