The Big Picture
Bob Belcher’s nemesis Jimmy Pesto has returned to Bob’s Burgers – but without his now-disgraced initial voice actor. Eric Bauza has replaced Jay Johnston as the voice of the unscrupulous Italian restaurateur. ComicBook.com reports that Bauza appeared as Pesto on “Bully-ieve It or Not”, the fifth episode of the animated sitcom’s fourteenth season. Pesto had not appeared since season 11’s “Bridge Over Troubled Rudy”, which aired in 2021, shortly before Johnston’s legal troubles began.
Johnston, a veteran of Mr. Show and Arrested Development, was one of the participants in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, in which supporters of Donald Trump’s false claims that he’d won the 2020 Presidential election stormed the US Capitol, causing death and destruction. Johnston was subsequently fired from the show, and was formally charged with a number of offenses relating to the riot earlier this year. This is the second time this year that Bauza has replaced a fired voice actor; he also took over from the disgraced Justin Roiland as the voice of Chris the Red Goobler on this season of Solar Opposites, as well.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Toronto, Eric Bauza got his start working at John Kricfaluski’s animation studio Spumco, contributing voices to The Ripping Friends and the 2003 Ren and Stimpy revival. More prominent roles followed, often making use of Bauza’s skills as a gifted impressionist. He took on Antonio Banderas’ iconic role in the Puss in Boots spinoff series The Adventures of Puss in Boots, voiced Splinter on Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and plays Luke Skywalker in a variety of animated Lego Star Wars productions.
Eric Bauza Recently Nabbed More Iconic Roles
Outside of his recent role on Bob’s Burgers, he is the latest voice actor to take over the role of Bugs Bunny, and voices several other Looney Tunes characters, including Daffy Duck, Marvin the Martian, Pepé Le Pew, and Tweety Bird, voicing many of them in Space Jam: A New Legacy. He is currently voicing Buster Bunny in Tiny Toons Looniversity, and will guest star in the upcoming revival of Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
Now entering its fourteenth season, Bob’s Burger’s centers around Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin) and his family-run hamburger restaurant. One of the show’s recurring threads is Bob’s rivalry with Jimmy Pesto’s Pizzeria, the Italian restaurant across the street, and especially with Jimmy Pesto, its arrogant, laud-mouthed owner. His eldest son, the guileless Jimmy Pesto Jr. (Benjamin), is the would-be love interest of Bob’s daughter Tina (Dan Mintz), and his inseparable twin sons Andy and Ollie (Laura and Sarah Silverman) are friends with his younger daughter, Louise (Kristen Schaal).
Bob’s Burgers is currently airing its fourteenth season on Fox. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
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Bob Belcher runs his dream restaurant with his wife and three children as their last hope of holding the family together.
Release Date January 9, 2011
Cast H. Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz, John Roberts, Larry Murphy, Andy Kindler, Jenny Slate
Main Genre Animation
Rating TV-14
