Jay Johnston arrested: ‘Mr. Show’ actor faces Jan. 6 charges

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Jay Johnston, a Chicago-born comic actor known for his work on “Mr. Show” and “Bob’s Burgers,” has been arrested and charged with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Reports say Johnson was arrested Wednesday in California and charged with felony obstruction of officers during civil disorder as well as several misdemeanor offenses. An FBI warrant says Johnston was part of a crowd that assaulted police officers by shoving them and shouting, “Heave! Ho!”

Earlier he distributed stolen police shields to other protesters and carried one himself, the warrant said.

Johnston, a Columbia College grad, wrote and acted on the seminal 1990s sketch series “Mr. Show” on HBO, memorably playing an explorer whose attempts to describe his ascent of Mt. Everest are derailed when he continues to fall into a shelf of collectible thimbles.

On Fox’s animated “Bob’s Burgers,” he voiced Jimmy Pesto, a pizzeria owner and rival to the show’s family of restaurateurs. Johnston, 54, reportedly was fired from the show after the FBI posted photos of a suspected Jan. 6 rioter who resembled the actor.

His other credits include the TV series “Arrested Development,” “Better Call Saul” and “The Sarah Silverman Program,” and the hit film “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”