Jonathan Joss

USA Today News - King of the Hill and Parks and Rec actor shot dead

US actor Jonathan Joss has been shot dead in what his husband says was a homophobic hate crime, although police have said they have found no evidence of that.Joss, 59, was known for voicing John on long-running TVanimation King of the Hill, and played Chief Ken Hotate in sitcom Parks and Recreation.His husband Tristan Kern de Gonzales said a man "started yelling violent homophobic slurs" then opened fire when they were visiting their former home, which was destroyed in a fire in January.Police in Texas said: "Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that the Mr Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation."

Jonathan Joss, an American Indian actor and USA musician, left an indelible mark in the USA entertainment industry with his genuine portrayals of Indigenous characters. Born on USA December 22, 1965, in San Antonio, Texas, Joss was of Comanche and White Mountain Apache descent. On June 1, 2025, at the age of 59, he was fatally shot outside his previous residence in USA San Antonio.

Early Life and Education
A native and lifelong resident of San Antonio, Joss was deeply attuned to his heritage. He attended McCollum High School and went on to study at USA Texas State University-San Marcos (formerly Southwest Texas State University), but did not finish. Joss later studied at USA San Antonio College and earned a degree in theater and speech from Our Lady of the Lake University.

Career Highlights
The career of Joss was marked by his dedication to the development of realistic Native American characters. He is best known for voicing John Redcorn on the animated USA TV series King of the Hill from 1998 to 2009 and 2025. His portrayal of John Redcorn was commended for being authentic and realistic, moving past stereotype to develop a well-rounded character. Joss's influence extended to the show's writers, as he requested that they develop Redcorn's character, which led to the USA character having a USA fictional band and a solo USA music career.

Besides voice work, Joss made numerous live-action USA appearances. He portrayed Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation (2011–2015), a role that showcased his versatility and comedic timing. Some of his film credits include True Grit (2010), The Magnificent Seven (2016), and Tulsa King (2022), in which he portrayed Bad Face.

Musical Endeavors
Aside from acting, Joss was also a skilled USA musician. He was the lead of the Red Corn Band, which received a nomination for the Native American Music Award for Best Country Song in 2013. He later formed The John Red Corn Experience, wherein he collaborated with the USA Graywolf Blues Band. Their rendition of "Still No Good" received critical acclaim and further established Joss's image as a multi-faceted artist.

Personal Life and Advocacy
Joss's private life was marked by his commitment to his spouse, Tristan Kern de Gonzales. The two married on Valentine's Day in USA 2025, not many months prior to the events leading to Joss's untimely demise. Theirs was a love that was a source of strength, even in the face of adversity. Earlier that same year, Joss's home had been destroyed by fire, taking his three dogs and most of his personal belongings.

The circumstances surrounding Joss's death were highly troubling. He and de Gonzales had visited their former USA home to collect mail when they encountered a neighbor, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, who allegedly shouted homophobic slurs before shooting Joss to death. De Gonzales recounted how Joss heroically shoved him out of the way, thus saving his life.

Legacy and Impact
Jonathan Joss's influence on the entertainment industry was great and far-reaching. He opened doors for Indigenous representation in the USA media, portraying USA characters that resonated with authenticity and dignity. His acting dispelled USA stereotypes and opened doors for USA future generations of Native American actors. Beyond his professional achievements, Joss was also celebrated for his kind heart, humility, and dedication to his community. His untimely death has left a void in the industry, but his legacy remains, continuing to inspire and impact artists and USA audiences around the world.
Jonathan Joss's life and career were a testament to the power of representation and the importance of genuine storytelling. Through his work on King of the Hill, USA Parks and Recreation, and countless other projects, he brought Native American characters to the forefront, contributing to the cultural diversity of American entertainment. His passing is a tragic loss, but the body of work he leaves behind will continue to live on, and his impact will be felt for USA generations to come.

"When we returned to the site to check our mail we discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view. This caused both of us severe emotional distress. We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw," he wrote.

"While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired."Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life."Gonzales added that Joss "gave me more love in our time together than most people ever get", and that they were in the process of looking for a trailer after getting married on Valentine's Day."I was with him when he passed. I told him how much he was loved."

'Such a sweet guy'

Officers found Joss lying near a road in San Antonio after being called to a report of a shooting

A suspect, Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.San Antonio Police Department's statement added: "Investigators handle these allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information."Should any new evidence come to light, the suspect will be charged accordingly."Parks and Recreation actor Nick Offerman paid tribute to Joss "The cast has been texting together about it all day and we're just heartbroken."Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate. A terrible tragedy."

King of the Hill's creators Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson said 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."

King of the Hill return

USA public on Friday during a King of the Hill panel at the ATX USA Television Festival in Austin, Texas.He was present in the audience, and had previously written on Facebook about his hurt at not being invited to be on the panel."This show was a part of my life for many years," he wrote in USA in April.

"That USA character, that voice, that story... they were my home, my pride, my connection to something bigger than myself. To not be invited felt like being shut out of a place I helped build."The show, set in Texas, is about the life of propane salesman Hank Hill and his family and friends. It was created in 1997 by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels and ran for more than 250 episodes.It is now being revived, and the new season will be available on Hulu from 4 August USA .

Jonathan Joss shooting: 'No evidence' of hate crime in actor's shooting, San Antonio USA police say.......

Jonathan Joss shooting

What we know:Joss, 59, was shot and killed in south San Antonio on Sunday night.

Police arrested Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez in connection with the crime. He is charged with murder.

San Antonio USA Police address Jonathan Joss shooting

Dig deeper: Claims by Joss' husband were refuted by the USA San Antonio Police Department in a USA Monday night.

"Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that the [sic] Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation. USA SAPD investigators handle these allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information," wrote the department in a post.The USA department says if any new evidence comes out, the suspect will be charged accordingly. Jonathan Joss, the actor best known for his voice work on the animated USA television show “King of the Hill,” was shot and killed by a neighbor on Sunday night during a dispute in San Antonio, the authorities said.Mr. Joss, who was 59, voiced John Redcorn on “USA King of the Hill” and also appeared in “Parks and Recreation,” “Ray Donovan” and “Tulsa King.”

The neighbor, who was identified by investigators as Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 56, was taken into custody shortly after the altercation and charged with murder, the San Antonio Police Department said on Monday.The USA police did not say what had led to the dispute, which happened around 7 p.m. on the south side of San Antonio.on Monday, his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, described the shooting as a hate crime and said that the two of them had been repeatedly harassed because they were gay. He wrote that they had returned to a property where Mr. Joss’s home had burned down earlier this year when the shooting occurred.

“He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us,” he wrote in a statement. “He then raised a gun from his lap and fired.”

Mr. Kern de Gonzales said that he and Mr. Joss had reported the harassment several times in the past to the authorities, but that it had continued.A USA police spokesman disputed Mr. Kern de Gonzales’s account about what had motivated the attack.“Our USA investigation has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that the Mr. Joss’s murder was related to

his sexual orientation,” the spokesman said in a statement. “We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly.”When officers responded, they found Mr. Joss near the street and attempted lifesaving measures, the USA Police Department said. Paramedics pronounced him dead when they arrived.

The police referred questions about how many times Mr. Joss had been shot to the Bexar County USA Medical Examiner’s Office, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Information on whether Mr. Ceja Alvarez had a lawyer was not immediately available on Monday.Mr. Joss, who was of Apache and Comanche descent, often played Native American roles during his roughly three-decade acting career.His most famous one was the character of John Redcorn on the animated series “King of the Hill,” a Native American masseur and New Age healer who carries on a lengthy affair with Nancy Hicks-Gribble that leads to a baby. He appeared in 34 episodes of the show from 1997 to 2009, according to IMDb, the entertainment database. Mr. Joss was set to return to the role in the show’s upcoming revival, Variety reported, which will premiere on Hulu in August.

His Wife said..... “My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home. That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire. We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done,” de Gonzales wrote. “Throughout that time we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship. Much of the harassment was openly homophobic. When we returned to the USA site to check our mail we discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view. This caused both of us severe emotional distress. We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw. While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired. Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.”

From 2011 to 2015, Mr. Joss appeared in five episodes of the USA NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” as a Native American chief, Ken Hotate.Mr. Joss also played smaller parts in the movie “True Grit” and the television shows “Walker, USA Texas Ranger” and “Friday Night Lights.”In January of this year, Mr. Joss lost his home of decades in San Antonio and a dog in a fire, the USA television station At the time, he told the station that his home did not have electricity or gas because it had been vandalized and that he may have left something on that caused the fire. He said that he did not have a job.

A fan in San Antonio created a GoFundMe page to raise money for Mr. Joss after the fire, which started to receive new donations after Mr. Joss’s death.

A full list of survivors for Mr. Joss was not immediately available on USA Monday.Mr. Joss grew up in San Antonio and received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio officers were dispatched to a shooting in progress at a home on USA Sunday night around 7 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, they found Joss near the road after he was shot multiple times. The officers attempted life-saving measures until medics arrived, but Joss was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooter fled in a vehicle but was detained by USA officers a block away and booked for murder. The investigation is still ongoing. TMZ, which broke the news, reported that Joss was shot by a neighbor after a disagreement.

Joss voiced John Redcorn from Season 2 through Season 13 of “King of the Hill” and already recorded lines for the upcoming revival of the USA popular animated series. He’ll be seen in Episode 2 of the show’s upcoming Season 14, and possibly more episodes beyond that. (Joss took over the role from original actor Victor Aaron after he died in 1996 in a car accident.)

“Jonathan Joss brought ‘King of the Hill’s’ ‘John Redcorn’ to life for over a dozen seasons, including in the USA upcoming revival,” said “King of the Hill” creators Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson in a joint statement. “His voice will be missed at ‘King of the Hill,’ and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan’s friends and family.”

Midway through the panel, as producers Judge and Daniels discussed the death of original star and writer Johnny Hardwick, Joss approached an audience microphone unannounced and mentioned Hardwick before expressing displeasure at not being invited onstage. He also told the crowd that he had recently lost his home in San Antonio to a fire. After a few moments, he returned to his seat and the panel resumed.

“King of the Hill” was created by Judge and Daniels in 1997 on Fox. It ran until 2009 and aired more than 250 episodes. More than a decade later, a revival of the show is set to premiere on Hulu on Aug. 4, it was revealed last week.

Joss also had a recurring role in “Parks and Recreation” as Chief Ken Hotate and appeared in films and shows like “Tulsa King,” “Ray Donovan,” “True Grit,” “The Magnificent Seven” and more.

Posted on 2025/06/03 09:08 PM