RIP Jonathan Joss: Here's why the late actor looks familiar; explore his Parks & Rec role

Jonathan Joss, best known for voicing John Redcorn on King of the Hill and playing Chief Ken Hotate on Parks and Recreation, has died after being shot in San Antonio, Texas. He was 59.

Jonathan Joss, Parks and Recreation's Ken Hotate dies in possible hate crime

The Internet was overwhelmed with emotion as Joss did not just garner praise for his work in the animated series King of the Hill, but was also widely loved for playing "Ken Hotate", the tribal elder of the Wamapoke tribe, in Parks and Recreation. Joss's clever, deadpan sarcasm was loved by fans. Ken Hotate often delivered lines with a perfectly calm, serious tone—even when saying things that were absurd or unsettling, which made the comedy land harder. For example:

"Whenever we have a ceremony, we light a sacred fire—and then we get totally wasted and play laser tag."

Parks and Rec, which is set in a fictional town called Pawnee, used Ken Hotate's character to poke fun at Pawnee's problematic history with Native Americans. His interactions with the overly bureaucratic Parks Department highlighted how towns often mishandle indigenous history.

The Parks & Rec cast is reportedly heartbroken over Joss's death. Nick Offerman, who starred with Joss on the show, told press that the entire cast is "heartbroken."

“The cast has been texting together about it all day and we’re just heartbroken,” Offerman said in an interview. “Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate. A terrible tragedy.”

How did Jonathan Joss die?

Joss’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, said the actor was killed in a suspected homophobic hate crime. However, local authorities have stated they have not found evidence so far to support that claim.

“Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were grieving, standing side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life,” Gonzales wrote in a Facebook post.

According to Gonzales, the couple had returned to the site of their former home, which was destroyed in a fire earlier this year after what he described as two years of harassment and threats. Upon arrival, they found the remains of one of their dogs placed deliberately in view, an act Gonzales said caused them deep distress.

While mourning the discovery, Gonzales said a man approached, shouted violent homophobic slurs, and opened fire.

Police confirmed Joss was found near the road when officers responded to the scene. A suspect, 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, has been arrested and charged with murder.

The San Antonio Police Department released a statement addressing online speculation about the motive:

“Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation. Should any new evidence come to light, the suspect will be charged accordingly.”

Tributes are pouring in

Tributes from the entertainment industry quickly followed news of Joss’s death.

Nick Offerman, who co-starred with Joss on Parks and Recreation, told People magazine:

“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.”

The creators of King of the Hill, namely Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, and Saladin Patterson, also shared a joint 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.”

Joss's last appearance

Joss appeared in public just days before his death, attending a King of the Hill panel at the ATX Television Festival in Austin. He was in the audience but expressed disappointment online that he had not been invited to participate.

“That character, that voice, that story… they were my home, my pride, my connection to something bigger than myself,” he wrote in April. “To not be invited felt like being shut out of a place I helped build.”