Posted in: Hulu, NBC, TV | Tagged: king of the hill, parks and recreation

King of the Hill Actor Jonathan Joss Killed in Texas Shooting, Age 59

King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation actor Jonathan Joss was killed during a shooting in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday night.

Fans of Mike Judge and Greg Daniels' King of the Hill have had much to celebrate over the past few weeks, having gotten their first looks at Hulu's upcoming 14th season. Sadly, that changed earlier today with the news that actor Jonathan Joss (John Redcorn) has died as a result of a shooting in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday (as confirmed by San Antonio police and reported by TMZ and Variety). The 59-year-old actor voiced the character from Season 2 through 13 of the hit animated series, and had recorded lines for the show's return season later this summer. In addition to his work on King of the Hill, Joss also starred in NBC's Parks and Recreation in the recurring role of Chief Ken Hotate. In addition, the actor's filmography included roles in Showtime's Ray Donovan, Paramount+'s Tulsa King, NBC's Friday Night Lights, and FX's The League.

"It was all about changing the approach that 'King of the Hill' had with John Redcorn. They liked the idea of him being a running joke, a good laugh of climbing in and out of the window. After a while of doing that, I felt they were wasting a good character that could have an arc and tell a story other than being a one-punch joke. I pitched ideas to the writers, such as Redcorn becoming a wrestler with a mask who finds a new fan in his son, Joseph, and becomes closer to him. It was all about coming from a good place and trying to make Redcorn a better character," Joss shared during a 2013 interview, discussing his efforts to expand his character and how his love for music helped him to accomplish that.

He continued, "When I approached Fox in a more mature and creative manner instead of complaining and refusing to do certain things, that got their ear. It wasn't until I discovered the music aspect of it and gave John Redcorn a voice through his music that the writers then had a picture to work with. They listened to the CD 'Golden Driplets' that I did with musician Kris Kiser, and I got the call one day that they liked the aspect of Redcorn as a musician. Not everyone wants to hear the Indian talk about his land being stolen; but a lot of us will want to listen to music when we sing about it, which speaks to the power of music. I was able to communicate through John Redcorn to Fox, and they allowed him to have his band and to have an arc in a different place."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!