Jonathan Joss Gonzales
Jonathan Joss Gonzales (December 22, 1965 – June 1, 2025) was an American actor and musician, best known for voicing John Redcorn on the animated series King of the Hill and portraying Chief Ken Hotate on Parks and Recreation.
Early Life and Career
Born in San Antonio, Texas, Joss attended McCollum High School before enrolling at Texas State University–San Marcos (formerly Southwest Texas State University). He later studied at San Antonio College, and eventually graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University with a degree in theater and speech.
Following the passing of actor Victor Aaron in 1996, Joss took over the role of John Redcorn starting in Season 2 of King of the Hill and remained with the show through Season 13. He also gained recognition for his recurring role as Chief Ken Hotate in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation.
A talented musician as well, Joss performed with The Red Corn Band, named after his iconic King of the Hill character.
Shortly before his passing in 2025, Joss had returned to voice John Redcorn for the King of the Hill revival series and had already recorded several episodes.
Personal Life
Joss was of Comanche and White Mountain Apache descent. On January 23, 2025, tragedy struck when his San Antonio home caught fire, resulting in the loss of his house and three of his dogs, with a fourth reported missing.
On Valentine’s Day 2025, Joss married his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales.
Death
On June 1, 2025, Joss was fatally shot near his home after an altercation in which a neighbor allegedly hurled homophobic slurs before opening fire. The suspect was taken into custody shortly afterward.
His death occurred just two days after he appeared at the 2025 ATX TV Festival in Austin with fellow King of the Hill cast members, and only hours after he posted a video on Instagram mentioning that he had already recorded lines for four episodes of the upcoming revival.
Following the incident, Kern de Gonzales shared on Instagram that the couple had endured years of homophobic threats and harassment from neighbors — threats that had reportedly been ignored by local police. He alleged that the fire that destroyed their home earlier in the year was the culmination of those threats. On Facebook, Kern de Gonzales described the shooting as a homophobic hate crime.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 8 Seconds | Medic Del Rio | — |
| 1994 | Texas | Comanche | — |
| 1998 | Almost Heroes | Bent Twig | — |
| 1998 | Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Additional voices | Direct-to-video |
| 1999 | Impala | John Eagle Claw | — |
| 2001 | Christmas in the Clouds | Phil | — |
| 2004 | Johnson Family Vacation | Casino Host | — |
| 2010 | True Grit | His Tongue in the Rain | — |
| 2016 | The Magnificent Seven | Denali | — |
| 2021 | Grow Up | Judge Robert Lightfoot | — |
| 2021 | The Forever Purge | American Indian on TV | — |
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