Bob's Burgers' Jimmy Pesto Replacement Is Perfect (& What Happened To Jay Johnston?)

Bob's Burgers' Jimmy Pesto saw a change in actors. Here's why it ended up working out perfectly and why Jay Johnston was ousted in the first place.

Summary

• In a favorable decision, Bob's Burgers replaced the voice actor for Jimmy Pesto, and the new voice, Eric Bauza, seamlessly continues the character's storylines.
• The firing of Jay Johnston, former voice actor for Jimmy Pesto, was due to his involvement in the January 6th Capitol riots.
• Bob's Burgers demonstrates its ability to adapt and evolve by recasting characters, such as Jimmy Pesto, with little disruption to the show's flow and dynamics.

Bob's Burgers continues to dominate in the adult animation space, and while a recent actor replacement for a key character could have proved detrimental to its success, it ended up being a favorable decision that bolstered viewers' excitement about what’s to come. While currently in its 14th season, Bob's Burgers is already confirmed for season 15 due to its continued popularity. One of its lasting commendable traits is that it goes against the grain of its genre by steering clear of the usual markings of cynicism and snark, opting instead to highlight lovable family dynamics through more light-hearted comedy.

Although on-screen Bob’s Burgers tends to steer clear of dealings with serious issues and controversy, off-screen is a different story. One of the recurring antagonists of the series, Jimmy Pesto, had to be recast after his voice actor, Jay Johnston, was fired. Given that Pesto is a crucial and captivating character on the show, replacing his voice could have proved to be a serious blow. Instead, Eric Bauza, who stepped in as the new voice of the character, was able to perfectly continue Pesto's storylines.

Related

Why Bob's Burgers' Marshmallow Was Rightfully Recast

Bob's Burgers' Marshmallow is one of the show's best characters. But as a Black transwoman, her original voice actor didn't reflect her story.

Bob's Burgers' Firing Of Jay Johnston Explained

The Bob's Burgers season 14 premiere confirmed that Jay Johnston had been replaced, and Eric Bauza is now the voice of Jimmy Pesto. Johnston was banned from Bob's Burgers after participating in the infamous events of January 6, 2021, when the U.S. Capitol was stormed by supporters of President Donald Trump. According to Fox 23, video footage confirmed Johnston's presence and showed him pushing against police offers and helping fellow rioters who attacked officers guarding the Capitol entrance. Johnston was also seen holding a stolen police shield over his head and passing it along to others.

Cassandra Church, who worked with Johnston on a 2014 film called Harmontown, shared that she recognized him from the photos shared of the riot in a now-deleted Tweet. It read "I’m no detective, but I do know Jay. He said he was there. And that’s him in the picture. So…" After appearing in court, Johnston was struck with a felony charge of civil disorder. He was released on $250,000 bond. The show and its network, Fox, ultimately cut ties with Johnston, although they did not make any formal statements on their decision.

Why Eric Bauza Is The Perfect Jimmy Pesto Replacement In Bob's Burgers

If not for the highly publicized reasoning behind Jay Johnston's departure from Bob's Burgers, it may not even have been noticed by viewers that he was replaced. Eric Bauza has proven to have an excellent and dynamic range, leaving there to be little difference between his portrayal of Jimmy Pesto and Johnston's. The actor is the current voice behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, and Marvin the Martian from Looney Toons. In addition, he voiced Foop on The Fairly Odd Parents, Fozzie Bear on Muppets Babies, and Thunderbolt Ross on Iron Man: Armored Adventures.

Jimmy Pesto is not the only recast character in season 14 of Bob's Burgers, as Marshmallow has a new voice as well. This change followed pressure from viewers and the desire to have characters of color voiced by those from the same background. Both decisions have gone over well, with little disruption to the show's flow and existing character dynamics. Bob's Burgers has proven that it's able to change and evolve when necessary, and their choice to bring on Eric Bauza was exactly what it needed to be able to continue the intriguing storylines between Bob and Jimmy Pesto.

Source: Fox 23

• Bob's Burgers

  Release Date:

  2011-01-09

  Cast:

  H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal

  Genres:

  Animation, Comedy

  Rating:

  TV-14

  Seasons:

  13

  Network:

  FOX

  Streaming Service(s):

  Hulu

  Franchise(s):

  Bob's Burgers

  Showrunner:

  Loren Bouchard, Jim Dauterive, Nora Smith

  Season List:

  Bob's Burgers - Season 1, Bob's Burgers - Season 2, Bob's Burgers - Season 3, Bob's Burgers - Season 4, Bob's Burgers - Season 5, Bob's Burgers - Season 6, Bob's Burgers - Season 7, Bob's Burgers - Season 8, Bob's Burgers - Season 9, Bob's Burgers - Season 10, Bob's Burgers - Season 11, Bob's Burgers - Season 12, Bob's Burgers - Season 13, Bob's Burgers - Season 14, Bob's Burgers - Season 15