‘Disrespectful and Cruel’: ‘King of the Hill’ Fans Angered by Jonathan Joss’ Omission From Emmys’ In Memoriam Segment

There was a hole in last night’s Emmy Awards where the late Jonathan Joss should’ve been. 

The King of the Hill revival missed the cutoff to be considered for any Emmys this year, but fans of the show are fuming for a different reason: Joss, who was shot and killed earlier this year, was left out of last night’s In Memoriam segment.

“Where was Jonathan Joss during the ‘In Memoriam’???” asked one fan of the actor, who famously starred as John Redcorn during King of the Hill’s first 14 seasons, and later portrayed Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation.

“RIP Jonathan Joss since the #Emmys won’t say it,” added another viewer, as a third denounced the Emmys’ omission as “disrespectful and cruel.” 

Joss isn’t the only late King of the Hill star to be overlooked by the Academy. Johnny Hardwick and rocker Tom Petty, who voiced Dale Gribble and Lucky Kleinschmidt respectively, were also excluded from the In Memoriam segments after their respective deaths in 2017 and 2023. (In fairness, Brittany Murphy, who played Luanne Platter did land a spot in the 2010 Emmys montage nearly a year after her passing.) 

Though heartbreaking, these decisions aren’t as simple as they may seem. Late Emmys producer Don Mischer said that selecting which stars to include in the segment is a shockingly difficult task for the ceremony’s producers. “We compile a list, and it’s got hundreds of names on it and we try to make the best decision we can, knowing that we’ve got about three minutes and forty-five seconds to actually do this piece,” he told Entertainment Weekly back in 2015, noting that relatives of late actors would sometimes campaign for their loved ones’ inclusion. “Having done the Emmys many times, it’s very tough.”

Whether he was included in the segment or not, it’s clear that Joss’ legacy won’t soon be forgotten by KOTH fans.