Jonathan Joss, star of King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation, shot dead aged 59
Joss played John Redcorn in King of the Hill and Ken Hotate in Parks and Rec.
Jonathan Joss, an actor who appeared in animated sitcom King of the Hill and hit show Parks and Recreation, has died in a shooting at the age of 59.
The star was found injured by police in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday evening (1st June), according to Variety. Officers attempted life-saving measures but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
TMZ, which broke the news, is reporting that Joss was shot after "a heated argument" with a neighbour.
Joss’s husband Tristan Kern de Gonzales claimed on Facebook that the gunman yelled "violent homophobic slurs at us" before opening fire.
"When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life," Tristan said.
He added that he was "murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other".
"Jonathan is my husband. He gave me more love in our time together than most people ever get … I was with him when he passed. I told him how much he was loved."
However, in a subsequent statement, San Antonio police said it had found no evidence to indicate that the shooting was linked to Joss’s sexual orientation.
"Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," the statement went on.
A 56-year-old man, Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, has been arrested and charged with murder.
Born in December, 1965, in San Antonio, Joss began his acting career with roles in TV movies such as The Substitute Wife, Without Consent and Walker, Texas Ranger.
He voiced John Redcorn in King of the Hill and brought the character to life from season 2 to season 13, which aired in 2010.
He had also recorded episodes for the reboot of the hit show, which was announced in 2023 and is set to be released this year.
His other credits included roles in Friday Night Lights, The Wild Thornberrys, Ray Donovan, Chartered, Tulsa King, The Magnificent Seven, The Messengers and The League, and he also voiced characters in Wasteland 3, Red Dead Redemption, Days Gone and The Walking Dead: Michonne video games.
Joss also won over fans of Parks and Recreation in his role as the quick-witted Ken Hotate, chief of the Wamapoke Native American tribe.
King of the Hill producers Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson shared their condolences for Joss following the tragic news of his passing, writing in a statement: "Jonathan Joss brought King of the Hill’s ‘John Redcorn’ to life for over a dozen seasons, including in the upcoming revival.
"His voice will be missed at King of the Hill, and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan’s friends and family."
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
