The cast of Bob’s Burgers is down a voice after Jay Johnston was reportedly fired from the animated series. According to The Daily Beast, Johnston had allegedly been spotted in photographs of unidentified rioters at the riot that took place at the Capitol on Jan. 6. The outlet reports that high-level execs have “banned” Johnston from the series, meaning he will no longer voice Jimmy Pesto Sr. on the hit comedy show.
As of now, Johnston’s involvement in the riot has not been officially confirmed, and the actor hasn’t been charged with a crime. He also has yet to publicly comment on his reported “ban” from Bob’s Burgers along with the reports of his alleged presence during the riot. Neither Fox nor Disney would provide an official comment on the matter either, as the reported plan was for Johnston’s dismissal to be carried out as quietly as possible.
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Fans will certainly notice the difference in Jimmy Pesto Sr.’s voice, however. The character has been around since the show’s first season, and after eleven seasons, people can grow accustomed to animated characters sounding a certain way. There hasn’t been any word yet on who may be taking over as the new voice of the character, or if Jimmy might be written out of the series entirely.
Jay Johnston has voiced Jimmy Pesto Sr. in a total of 43 episodes of Bob’s Burgers. If the reports of his firing are true, this would make his final episode “The Bridge Over Troubled Rudy,” which aired on May 2, 2021. The character has not yet been featured in season 12.
Per the report, Johnston was first linked to the Capitol riot by web sleuths who claim that one person sought by the FBI in photos released online was the Bob’s Burgers star. Dubbed “suspect number 247,” the man alleged to be Johnston was captured on video taking pictures as rioters forced their way toward the building. Cassandra Church, an actress who worked with Johnston on Harmontown, tweeted in March that she was sure he was the person in the photos and footage.
The Bob’s Burgers franchise will soon be expanding, and apparently without Johnston’s voice. A movie adaptation is currently in the works with The Bob’s Burgers Movie set to arrive on Memorial Day weekend in 2022. Back in 2017, when the movie was first announced, creator Loren Bouchard teased that it would be a mystery-musical movie.
We’re thrilled to be invited to bring Bob’s Burgers to the big screen," Bouchard said. “We know the movie has to scratch every itch the fans of the show have ever had, but it also has to work for all the good people who’ve never seen the show. We also know it has to fill every inch of the screen with the colors and the sounds and the ever so slightly greasy texture of the world of Bob’s, but most of all it has to take our characters on an epic adventure. In other words, it has to be the best movie ever made. But no pressure, right?”
Bob’s Burgers airs on Fox and is currently in the midst of season 12.
