Godspeed Jonathan Joss

Jonathan Joss, who provided the voice of John Redcorn on the animated series King of the Hill and played the recurring role of Chief Ken Hotate on Parks and Recreation, was shot and killed by a neighbour on June 12025. He was 59 years old. 

Jonathan Joss was born Jonathan Joss Gonzales on December 22 1965 in San Antonio, Texas. He was of Comanche and White Mountain Apache descent. He graduated from McCollum High School in San Antonio in 1984. He attended Southwest Texas State University (now  Texas State University–San Marcos) for a time  and then San Antonio College for a while. He graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio with a degree in theatre and speech. 

Jonathan Joss made his television debut in the TV movie The Substitute Wife in 1994. It was in 1998 that he was cast in the role of John Redcorn on King of the Hill. He replaced John Redcorn's original voice, Victor Aaron, who died in a car accident in September 1996. Jonathan Joss remained the voice of John Redcorn until King of the Hill ended its run in 2009. He voiced John Redcorn in four episodes of the upcoming revival of the show. In the Nineties Jonathan Joss also guest starred on the shows Walker, Texas Ranger and The Wild Thornberrys. He appeared in the mini-series Dead Man's Walk. He appeared in the movies 8 Seconds (1994),  Texas (1994), Almost Heroes (1998), and Impala (1999).

In the Naughts Jonathan Joss continued to voice John Redcorn on King of the Hill. He guest starred on the shows Charmed, ER, Justice League Unlimited, In Plain Sight, and Friday Night Lights.He appeared in the mini-series Into the West and Comanche Moon. He appeared in the movies Christmas in the Clouds (2001), Johnson Family Vacation (2004), and True Grit (2010). 

It was in 2011 that Jonathan Joss began playing the recurring role of Chief Ken Hotate, leader of Pawnee's local Wamapoke tribe. He guest starred on the shows The League, Manhattan Love Story, The Messengers, Ray Donovan, and Chartered. He appeared in the movie The Magnificent Seven (2016).  In the Teens he appeared in the movies Grow Up (2021) and The Forever Purge (2021). He guest starred on Tulsa King. He reprised his role as John Redcorn in four episodes of the revival King of the Hill.

Jonathan Joss also provided voices for several video games, including Santa Fe Mysteries: The Elk Moon Murder, Santa Fe Mysteries: Sacred Ground, King of the Hill, Red Dead Redemption, and others. 

Jonathan Joss was a pioneering Native American actor. Along with various characters on Northern Exposure, John Redcorn was one of the earliest Native American characters who was both well-developed and complex. He broke with the often stereotypical representations of Native Americans on television that were often less than complimentary. Jonathan Joss bore much of the responsibility for the development of John Redcorn as a three-dimensional character, having played him since the second season of King of the Hill.

Ken Hotate on Parks & Recreation was another character that broke with television's usual portrayals of Native Americans. Ken was an astute, sharp dressed businessman with a keep sense of humour. He was both respectful of Pawnee and respected by them. At no point was Ken or his tribe ever made the butt of a joke on Parks and Recreation, although he sometimes had fun at the expense residents of Pawnee. Arguably John Redcorn on King of the Hill and Ken Hotate on Parks & Rec helped pave the way for more and better Native American representation on television. Quite simply, it was Jonathan Joss's work that helped lead to such shows as Rutherford Falls and Reservoir Dogs.