The creators of King of Hill paid tribute to Jonathan Joss following the news of his tragic death on Sunday. The actor was fatally shot during a dispute near his home in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday.
Series co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, and revival showrunner Saladin Patterson shared a post on Instagram alongside images of Joss and his King of the Hill character, John Redcorn. “Jonathan brought King of the Hill’s ‘John Redcorn’ to life for over a dozen seasons, including in the upcoming revival,” they wrote. “His voice will be missed at King of the Hill, and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan’s friends and family.”
On Monday, Nick Offerman told People that the Parks and Recreation cast had been “texting together about it all day and we’re just heartbroken.” Joss played Chief Ken Hotate of the Native American Wamapoke Tribe on the popular sitcom, appearing in five episodes between 2011 and 2015.
“Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate. A terrible tragedy,” said Offerman.
Chris Pratt, who shared the screen with Joss on Parks and Recreation and 2016’s film The Magnificent Seven, also mourned Joss’ passing. “Damn. RIP Jonathan. Always such a kind dude,” Pratt wrote on Instagram Stories. “Sad to see. Prayers up. Hug your loved ones.”
Joss was shot and killed by a neighbor on Sunday night in San Antonio, Texas, said authorities. According to The New York Times, the neighbor was identified by investigators as Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, who was taken into custody and charged with murder.
Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, said they had returned to the site of their former home, which had been damaged in a fire, to check on their mail. In a statement shared on Joss’ Facebook account, de Gonzales said they were approached by a man who began yelling homophobic slurs and fired his gun. “Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone,” said de Gonzales. “We were standing side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.”
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
Joss was best known for his distinct voice playing Redcorn, a Native American character on King of the Hill, which ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. The series has been revived 15 years after it ended its original run, and Hulu will debut Season 14 of King of the Hill in August.
Before his death, Joss posted a video on Instagram. In the clip, Joss shared his excitement over the return of the beloved series and invited fans to meet him at a comic shop in Austin, Texas, to take photos for free.
From Rolling Stone US
