Introduction to Jonathan Joss
The American actor Jonathan Joss, known for his roles in King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation, died at the age of 59. Joss was shot, and while his husband described it as a homophobic hate crime, the police in Texas say there is no evidence of this. With a wide career that included various genres and platforms, Joss performed in films, sitcoms, animations, stage productions, and more. He was attributed to the increasing representation of American indigenous people on screen.
Remarkable Appearances
Joss had many remarkable appearances throughout his career. Here are three of the most notable ones:
John Redcorn in King of the Hill
In the animated sitcom King of the Hill, Joss voiced the character of John Redcorn, a "licensed New Age healer of the American indigenous people" from season two. The sitcom revolves around the Hill family and takes place in the fictional city of Arlen in suburban Texas. In the first four seasons, Redcorn has an affair with Hank Hill’s neighbor Nancy Gribble, whose husband Dale is unsuspecting. Redcorn is a complex character known for his friendliness and calm demeanor, as well as for advocating for his American indigenous heritage.
In the fourth season, Redcorn reveals a persistent struggle between his tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in perhaps his most notable action, hoping to restore government recognition. In view of Redcorn, a "true friend," Dale decides to help him with the lawsuit filed against the government by introducing him to the Freedom of Information Act. Redcorn ends his 14-year affair with Nancy permanently out of respect for Dale, and the affair is not revealed to Dale, who happily goes home with Nancy.
Author Dustin Tahmahkera once described Redcorn as "the most well-developed and complex indigenous character in US sitcom history." In his 2014 book Tribal Television, which looked at the representation of American indigenous people in sitcoms, Tahmahkera added that the representation "tried to break through a largely unfriendly and dirty history of depictions of indigenous people." The fact that Redcorn was the "most human and multi-dimensional" American indigenous person on screen was "a discouraging and strong reminder of the history of indigenous representations on network television," emphasized Tahmahkera.
Chef Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation
Joss’s on-screen role as the head of the American indigenous people in America, Ken Hotate, was a fan favorite in this live-action sitcom. The chief’s sense of humor fit his comedic jokes, and he was often seen teasing the core characters when they tried to figure out whether his direct comments were fatally serious or a complete joke. Chief Hotate met Leslie Knope, the deputy director of the Parks and Recreation Department for the fictional city of Pawnee, to discuss the use of the land.
He often used stereotypes associated with American indigenous people, such as when he resisted a festival organized on an old grave, hoping that his ancestors would "not curse" it. "White people are afraid of curses," he explained to the camera in a cheeky remark. As with King of the Hill, Joss’s character defended tribal supplies and often highlighted the injustices faced by his community.
Parks and Rec’s creators used Joss’s character with a "really funny kind of self-confidence," said Samantha Sheppard, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Cornell University. "Parks and Rec acknowledged the fact that despite the very good, apart, and warm, generous public officials, like Leslie Knope, and the people who worked for the city, that the city still existed on local land and therefore had to take into account and tell this story," said Prof. Sheppard to the BBC.
His role illuminated sensitive issues in a way that made the difficult topic of America’s ugly history with indigenous groups "more accessible," said Prof. Sheppard. "There was this kind of cheeky awareness of stereotypical depictions of indigenous people on screen," she said, referring to the dichotomy of the boss hotel, which was also the owner of the casino. "I think it paved the way for other types of indigenous stories."
Denali in The Magnificent Seven
Joss took on a darker role and portrayed the ruthless Denali in The Magnificent Seven 2016. A retelling of a Western western, a group of gunslingers is equally combined to protect the town of Rose Creek, which is threatened by a tycoon who wants to reduce the floor for gold. Denali, who was banished from the Comanche tribe, becomes a personal assassin of the tycoon and is seen firing arrows and engaging in hand-to-hand combat.
"If people ask me what I think about the film, I tell them that everything I know would have loved my father," Joss said to mysanantonio, a news agency in his hometown, at the time the film was released.
