Jay Johnston, a Chicago-born comic actor known for his work in Bob’s Burgers and Mr. Show, was arrested on June 7 for his involvement with the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol. Johnston has been charged with “felony obstruction of officers during civil disorder,” as well as various misdemeanor offenses as part of the violent protest that sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Johnston was a fixture in the Chicago comedy scene, performing at the famous Second City theater, before eventually moving into film and television work. He was a writer and performer on Mr. Show, the influential comedy show starring and created by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. (He was also part of the Mr. Show revival, W/ Bob & David, that premiered on Netflix in 2015.)
Post-Mr. Show, Johnston had a handful of small film roles, notably in Anchorman and Men in Black II, but achieved most of his recent success as a voice actor on shows like Bob’s Burgers and Mr. Pickles. On Bob’s Burgers Johnston spent a decade playing the role of the antagonistic Jimmy Pesto, a rival of Bob Belcher, but in December 2021, The Daily Beast reported that he had been removed from the sitcom by higher-ups once news of his presence at the Capitol riots became public.
Following the Capitol Riots, the FBI shared photos of Johnston on Twitter, asking for assistance identifying him. According to the court documents obtained by NBC, Johnston used a shield taken from the Capitol Police to protect other rioters, assisted several of them by giving them water, and helped form a blockade against law enforcement officers. Several video stills show Johnston, clad in a camouflage mask, in and amongst the crowd.
Since 2021, Johnston’s only credit is an independent film called Wing Dad. The director of the film, Lucas Astrom, told The Daily Beast in December 2021 that he was concerned about Johnston’s involvement in the riots and contacted Johnston to ask him about it. Astrom said Johnston denied having gone into the Capitol, but admitted to showing up at the protest and that “he believed there was fraud and just wanted to show his support.”
The Hollywood Reporter also shared a photo of Johnston dressed as Jake Angeli, the QAnon Shaman, who was arrested and served time in prison for his role in the Capitol riot. NPR has reported that more than 1,000 people have been charged with crimes connected to the January 6 insurrection. Roughly 15 percent of those charged reportedly worked in either law enforcement or the military. Presumably the percentage of them who played a recurring role on The Sarah Silverman Program is quite a bit lower, thoughJohnston did play Officer Taylor in Arrested Development.
Grant Rindner
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