Jay Johnson (born July 11, 1949) is an American

ventriloquist Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is a performance act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) creates the illusion that their voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered prop known as a "dummy". The act of ventriloquism is ve ...

and

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

, best known for playing Chuck (and Bob) Campbell on ''

Soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are us ...

''.

Early life

Johnson was born in

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the nort ...

, and raised in

Richardson, Texas Richardson is a city in Dallas and Collin counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, the city had a total population of 119,469. Richardson is an inner suburb of the city of Dallas. It is home to the University ...

. He attended

Richardson High School Richardson High School (RHS) is a magnet high school in Richardson, Texas, United States with approximately 2,770 students and a student/teacher ratio of approximately 15:1 in the 20182019 school year. It is the oldest high school in the Richardso ...

Television

Johnson is best known for his role on the sitcom ''

'', in which he played ventriloquist Chuck Campbell and his dummy Bob. Chuck treated Bob as though he were real, and, when performing as Bob, displayed a rude and sarcastic personality that would often provoke violence against the dummy. In addition to his role on ''Soap'', Johnson has also appeared as a celebrity guest on many game shows and hosted two series of his own, ''So You Think You Got Troubles'' (1983) and '' Celebrity Charades'' (1979). He performed in an episode of ''

Mrs. Columbo ''Mrs. Columbo'' (1979–1980), later called ''Kate Columbo'', ''Kate the Detective'', and ''Kate Loves a Mystery'', is an American crime drama television series, initially based on the wife of Lieutenant Columbo, the title character from the ...

'', playing a ventriloquist who finds his dummy is acting independently of his will and kills the man who carved it. Other post-''Soap'' TV credits include appearances on ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'', '' Gimme a Break!'', ''

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who oper ...

'', '' The Facts of Life'', ''

Empty Nest ''Empty Nest'' is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from October 8, 1988, to April 29, 1995. The series, which was created as a spin-off of ''The Golden Girls'' by creator and producer Susan Harris, starred Ri ...

'' (reuniting him with his father from ''Soap'', Richard Mulligan), and ''

Dave's World ''Dave's World'' is an American sitcom television series, created by Fred Barron, that aired on CBS from September 20, 1993, to June 20, 1997. The series is based on the writing of ''Miami Herald'' columnist Dave Barry. Plot The show focuses on ...

''. He starred in ''

Broken Badges ''Broken Badges'' is an American-Canadian police procedural drama television series that aired on CBS from November 24, 1990, to December 22, 1990, and on June 20, 1991. The series was co-created by Stephen J. Cannell. Premise ''Broken Badges'' ...

'' (1990), a Stephen Cannell

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

television production in which he played Stanley Jones, a depressed police officer who was also a ventriloquist. In 1999, he reprised his role of Chuck (and Bob) Campbell in an episode of ''

That '70s Show ''That '70s Show'' is an American television period teen sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, ...

''. Post-2000 appearances include the 2001 TV Movie ''What's Up, Peter Fuddy?'', an appearance on ''

Reno 911! ''Reno 911!'' is an American comedy television series airing on Comedy Central. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically '' Cops'', with comic actors playing the police officers. Thomas Lennon, Ro ...

'', and the role of Christopher Davis—biological father of "

The Miniature Killer Natalie Davis (a.k.a. "The Miniature Serial Killer") is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', portrayed by Jessica Collins. The Miniature Killer was introduced in the seventh-season premiere; after a ...

" Natalie Davis—in the '' CSI:'' episode "Living Doll".

Live theater

''Jay Johnson: The Two & Only!'' written and performed by Jay Johnson, opened on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

to rave reviews at the

Helen Hayes Theatre The Hayes Theater (formerly the Little Theatre, New York Times Hall, Winthrop Ames Theatre, and Helen Hayes Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 240 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Named for actres ...

on September 28, 2006. This was preceded by an acclaimed off-Broadway run at the

Atlantic Theatre Company Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater, whose mission is to produce great plays "simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble." The company was founded in 1985 by David Mamet, William H. Macy, and 30 of their ac ...

in New York. The show also performed at the Zero Arrow Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Brentwood and Colony Theater Company in Los Angeles, California. The Cambridge performance garnered the New England Critics Award, and in Los Angeles, Johnson received the 2006

Ovation Award The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the non-profit arts service organization LA Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Winne ...

for Best Solo Performance. The show deconstructs and demonstrates Johnson's lifelong obsession with the art of ventriloquism. The show is a Valentine, not only to the art, but also to his mentor and friend Arthur Sieving, who created Johnson's first professional puppet. The show is aided and abetted by a cast of ventriloquated characters, including his ''Soap'' alter ego, Bob. Johnson won the 2007

Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event The Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event was awarded from 2001 to 2009 to live theatrical productions that were not plays or musicals. The category was created after the 2000 controversy of '' Contact'' winning Best Musical; the show used ...

for the show. He is the only ventriloquist to ever be nominated and win an American Theatre Wing

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

or an

. The show was filmed on September 15, 2012, in Thalian Hall in Wilmington, North Carolina. Johnson enlisted film and stage director

Bryan W. Simon Bryan. W. Simon, is a stage and film director, and writer. Simon grew up in Waukegan, Illinois and attended Waukegan High School, College of Lake County. Simon directed his first professional stage play at age 17, the regional tour of a children� ...

to direct the film adaptation of the performance. Johnson first met Simon in 2009 when he starred in the comedy documentary '' I'm No Dummy'', directed by Bryan W. Simon. The original Bob puppet featured on ''Soap'' was inducted into the

Smithsonian Institute The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

's collections of

pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ...

icons in May 2007. He currently uses a replica Bob for ''Jay Johnson: The Two & Only!'' and other appearances.

References

External links

Jay Johnson: The Two & Only! - Official Broadway website

Jay Johnson's official site
*
IBDB

* ttp://tvseriesfinale.com/articles/soap-audio-interview-with-ventriloquist-jay-johnson-chuck-bob-part-one/ Extended audio interview with Jay Johnson about Soap
''BroadwayWorld.com'' interview with Jay Johnson, June 6, 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Jay 1949 births Living people Ventriloquists American male television actors People from Lubbock, Texas Male actors from Texas