On Sunday, the tragic passing of Jonathan Joss, the voice behind John Redcorn in the animated series "King of the Hill," was confirmed by San Antonio police to Variety. Joss, aged 59, succumbed to injuries sustained in a shooting incident.
The evening unfolded with a dispatch of San Antonio officers to a residence where a shooting was in progress, approximately 7 p.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered Joss lying near the roadside, riddled with bullets. Despite the officers' valiant efforts to administer life-saving measures until medical personnel arrived, Joss was pronounced deceased at the scene. Meanwhile, the shooter, having fled in a vehicle, was swiftly apprehended by officers just a block away and charged with murder. The investigation remains ongoing.
According to TMZ, which broke the story, Joss was shot by a neighbor following a disagreement. In a poignant statement posted on Joss’s Facebook page, his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, alleged that both he and Joss had been subjects of homophobic harassment. He further revealed that their home had been destroyed by fire "after enduring over two years of threats from local residents who vowed repeatedly to torch it." De Gonzales penned that Joss was "brutally murdered by someone who could not tolerate the sight of two men in love."
"My beloved husband, Jonathan Joss, and I found ourselves in the midst of a shooting while checking our mail at the site of our former abode. That home, once our sanctuary, was reduced to ashes following relentless threats from individuals in the neighborhood who vowed repeatedly to set it aflame. Despite our repeated reports to law enforcement, nothing was done to protect us," de Gonzales lamented. "Throughout that harrowing period, we were regularly harassed by individuals who openly expressed their intolerance towards our relationship. Much of the harassment was overtly homophobic. When we returned to retrieve our mail, we were met with a harrowing sight – the skull of one of our dogs and its harness, strategically placed for us to see. This discovery plunged us into severe emotional distress, causing us to wail and weep in agony.
"In the midst of our grief, a man approached us, shouting violent homophobic slurs. He then brandished a gun from his lap and opened fire. Jonathan and I were defenseless, posing no threat to anyone. We stood side by side, grieving. When the man pulled the trigger, Jonathan instinctively pushed me out of harm's way, sacrificing his own life to save mine," de Gonzales concluded, painting a vivid picture of the harrowing ordeal.
Joss lent his vocal talents to the character of John Redcorn in "King of the Hill," spanning from Season 2 to Season 13, and had already contributed his lines for the highly anticipated revival of the beloved animated series. He was set to reprise his role in Episode 2 of the show's forthcoming Season 14, with potential appearances in subsequent episodes on the horizon. Notably, Joss succeeded the original actor Victor Aaron, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 1996.
"Jonathan Joss breathed life into 'King of the Hill's' 'John Redcorn' for over a dozen seasons, and his voice will resonate in the upcoming revival as well," stated the creators of "King of the Hill," Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, and Saladin Patterson, in a unified tribute. "His absence from the show's vocal landscape will be deeply felt, and we offer our heartfelt sympathies to Jonathan's cherished friends and family."
Most recently, Joss was publicly spotted on Friday at a reunion/revival panel for "King of the Hill" at the ATX Television Festival in Austin. During the panel, when producers Judge and Daniels discussed the passing of original star and writer Johnny Hardwick, Joss unexpectedly approached the audience microphone and mentioned Hardwick, expressing dissatisfaction at not being formally included onstage. He also disclosed to the attendees that he had recently suffered the loss of his home in San Antonio to a devastating fire. After a brief interlude, he resumed his seat, allowing the panel to continue.
Created by Judge and Daniels in 1997, "King of the Hill" premiered on Fox and ran until 2009, amassing over 250 episodes. More than a decade later, the revival of the iconic show is scheduled to debut on Hulu on August 4, as revealed last week.
In addition to his iconic role in "King of the Hill," Joss also had a recurring part in "Parks and Recreation" as Chief Ken Hotate and featured in films and TV shows such as "Tulsa King," "Ray Donovan," "True Grit," "The Magnificent Seven," and many more.
