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J. B. Smoove

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J. B. Smoove
JB Smoove in April 2014 at NBC Universal Summer Press Day
Smoove in April 2014
Born
Jerry Angelo Brooks

(1964-12-16) December 16, 1964 (age 59)
Plymouth, North Carolina, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, writer, comedian, voice actor
Years active1995–present
Spouse
Shahidah Omar
​
(m. 2007)​
Children1

Jerry Angelo Brooks[1][2] (born December 16, 1964),[1] widely known as J. B. Smoove, is an American actor, writer, comedian, and voice actor. He started his career off with the television series Def Comedy Jam in 1995. He is best known for his role as Leon on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. He also starred on the CBS sitcom The Millers from 2013 to 2015. He most recently portrayed a fictionalized version of himself on the BET improv-comedy reality television parody Real Husbands of Hollywood.[3]

Early life

Smoove was born in Plymouth, North Carolina, to parents Floyd Brooks and Elizabeth Brooks.[4] From the time he was three years old, he grew up in Mount Vernon, New York.[2][5][6] He spent a significant amount of time with extended family from his mother's side in the Plymouth area, which he has said inspired a lot of his comedy. In Mount Vernon, he grew up in the Levister Towers housing projects with his two younger brothers. Smoove's father died from diabetes when he was 15 years old.[4]

In 1983, Smoove graduated from Mount Vernon High School.[7] He attended Norfolk State University in Virginia, studying engineering and graphic design.[3]

Smoove worked as a perfume formulator and sold fire extinguishers door-to-door.[6] He worked at a custom T-shirt shop (Mrs G's T's) where he printed T-shirts and model trains, while developing material for his comedy routine.

Career

Smoove has had recurring roles on Everybody Hates Chris and Saturday Night Live. On SNL, he worked as a writer (and had bit roles in sketches, including playing Jimmy "JJ" Walker in a parody of the 1970s sitcom Good Times) and was a recipient of the 2007 Writers Guild of America award for Best Comedy/Variety Series (Including Talk).[8] He was on Saturday Night Live for three years.[2]

Smoove has been a regular cast member on the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm since its sixth season in 2007, playing Leon Black. Smoove got the role of Leon on Curb Your Enthusiasm after his stint on SNL.[9] Although he was at that time based on the east coast, he was in Los Angeles for his friend, music producer Oji Pierce's funeral, so was able to audition for Curb.[10] Smoove wrote a book as his Curb Your Enthusiasm character, Leon, which was released on October 10, 2017.[11]

Smoove's film credits include With or Without You, Pootie Tang, Mr. Deeds, Date Night, Hall Pass, The Sitter, We Bought a Zoo, The Dictator, Top Five, A Haunted House, and Clear History.

He had a major role for seasons two and three on the Fox network sitcom 'Til Death with Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher. In June 2008, he taped several episodes of The Gong Show with Dave Attell as one of the celebrity judges. Smoove was also a cast member on the short-lived sketch comedy program Cedric the Entertainer Presents. He hosted the standup comedy series Russell Simmons Presents: Stand-Up at The El Rey on Comedy Central in July 2010 and also appeared on an episode of The Simpsons titled '"Angry Dad: The Movie" in February 2011. Also in 2011, he starred in the American Dad! episode "The Worst Stan" and appeared in an episode of Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil called "Dude, Where's My Wade".

In 2012, his first televised comedy special, JB Smoove: That's How I Dooz It, premiered on Comedy Central. The DVD of the special was released April 3, 2012. In 2013, Smoove voiced Hackus in The Smurfs 2. Smoove appeared in Movie 43 in the segment "The Proposition" alongside Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. He was the substitute co-host of the New York City morning talk show Good Day New York with Rosanna Scotto on April 9, 2012. He had a cameo as a grave digger in the episode of Louie entitled "Barney/Never". He also played a supporting role in Season 4, Episode 7 "The Vapora Sport" in the American sitcom The League on FX. He plays Wheelchair Guy, with whom the main characters have recurring comedic run-ins. He plays one of the "Replacers" for Call of Duty: Black Ops II. He is in the show Real Husbands of Hollywood, where he plays a fictionalized version of himself.[3]

Smoove hosts a talk show on the MSG Network called Four Courses With JB Smoove.[5] He provides the voice of Dr. Ray D'Angelo Harris, host of the Chakra Attack radio show in the video game Grand Theft Auto V. Smoove appeared in the 2013 film Dealin' with Idiots as Coach Ted. In 2013, he became a regular cast member of the CBS comedy The Millers, playing the character Ray.

In the summer of 2014, Smoove hosted the eighth season of the NBC reality series Last Comic Standing.[12]

In July 2016, Smoove appeared on comedian Jerry Seinfeld's web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.[6][13]

In 2017, Smoove played Santa in Sia's music video, "Santa's Coming for Us".[14]

Philanthropy

Smoove serves on the board of directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon. On November 7, 2017, he emceed the Boys and Girls Clubs Future Leaders Gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA.[15]

Personal life

In 2007, Smoove married singer Shahidah Omar.[15] They have one daughter and live in Los Angeles.[4] He shortened his name, Jerry Brooks, to "J. B." and added "Smoove" as his last name when he began performing stand-up comedy. He is a fan of the New York Yankees and the New Orleans Saints. [16]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Lesser Prophets Chucky
1998 Tomorrow Night Mel the Mailman
2001 Pootie Tang Trucky
2002 Mr. Deeds Reuben
2003 With or Without You Darnell
2003 The Watermelon Heist Numbers
2004 Gas Ignatius
2009 Frankenhood Leon
2010 Hurricane Season Team Bus Driver
2010 Date Night Cabbie
2011 Hall Pass Flats
2011 We Bought a Zoo Mr. Stevens
2011 The Sitter Julio
2012 Think Like a Man Bartender
2012 The Dictator Funeral Usher
2013 Movie 43 Larry Segment: "The Proposition"
2013 A Haunted House Kisha's Dad
2013 Dealin' with Idiots Coach Ted
2013 The Smurfs 2 Hackus Voice only
2013 Clear History Jaspar
2014 Search Party Berk
2014 Top Five Silk
2015 Hell and Back Sal the Demon Voice only
2016 Barbershop: The Next Cut One-Stop
2016 Almost Christmas Lonnie
2017 The Polka King Ron Edwards
2018 Uncle Drew Angelo
2019 Spider-Man: Far From Home Filming
TBA Going Places The Mechanic

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Def Comedy Jam Himself Also writer
1998 Law & Order Levon Episode: "Bait"
2002–2003 Cedric the Entertainer Presents Various 17 episodes
2003 Ed Alvin Episode: "Second Chances"
2003–2005 Saturday Night Live Various Also writer
2004–2013 Jimmy Kimmel Live! Himself 13 episodes
2005 Ego Trip's Race-O-Rama Himself Documentary
2007–2008 Everybody Hates Chris Manny 11 episodes
2007–2011 Comics Unleashed Himself 3 episodes
2007–present Curb Your Enthusiasm Leon Black 26 episodes; recurring (Seasons 6-8), main (Season 9)
2008 Carpoolers Parking Attendant Episode: "Wheel of Fortune"
2008 The Gong Show with Dave Attell Himself 4 episodes
2008 Talkshow with Spike Feresten Himself
2008–2010 'Til Death Kenny Westchester 26 episodes
2008–2013 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Himself 6 episodes
2009 The Wanda Sykes Show Himself
2009 Castle Norman Jessup Episode: "Love Me Dead"
2009–2012 American Dad! Airport Security Guard, Tracey Bryant (voice) 5 episodes
2010 America's Next Top Model Himself Episode: "America's Next Top Vampire"
2010 Glenn Martin DDS Curtis, Uncle Dexter (voice) Episode: "Step Brother"
2010 The Bonnie Hunt Show Himself
2010 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Himself
2010 Lopez Tonight Himself
2011 The Marriage Ref Himself
2011 The Simpsons DJ Kwanzaa (voice) Episode: "Angry Dad: The Movie"
2011 In the Flow with Affion Crockett iDaddy Episode: "Put the Kids to Bed"
2011–2013 Funny as Hell Writer, 2 episodes
2011–2017 Conan Himself 6 episodes
2012 JB Smoove: That's How I Dooz It Himself
2012 Last Call with Carson Daly Himself
2012 Watch What Happens: Live Himself
2012 Black Dynamite That Frog Kurtis, That Bastard Kurtis (voices) 2 episodes
2012 Bent Clem 6 episodes
2012 Louie Gravedigger #2 Episode: "Barney/Never"
2012 Robot Chicken Bosco 'B.A.' Baracus, Satan (voices) Episode: "Crushed by a Steamroller on My 53rd Birthday"
2012 The League DeRon Episode: "The Vapora Sport"
2012–2013 The Burn with Jeff Ross Himself 2 episodes
2012–2015 The Wendy Williams Show Himself 4 episodes
2013 Four Courses with JB Smoove Himself Host
2013 Kroll Show Basketball Player Episode: "Dine & Dash"
2013 Chicago Fire Sergeant Pruit Episode: "Let Her Go"
2013 The Arsenio Hall Show Himself
2013 The Talk Himself
2013 Katie Himself
2013–2015 The Millers Ray Main cast
34 episodes
2013–2016 Real Husbands of Hollywood Himself 18 episodes
2014 Chicago P.D. Sergeant Pruit Episode: "Stepping Stone"
2014 Last Comic Standing Himself Host
2014–2016 Talking Dead Himself 2 episodes
2014–2017 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Anton Zeck/Bebop (voice) 17 episodes
2015 The Soul Man Terrell Episode: "Oh Snow You Didn't"
2015–2016 Fresh Off the Boat Barry 2 episodes
2016 Epic Rap Battles of History Frederick Douglass Episode: "Frederick Douglass vs Thomas Jefferson"
2016 Match Game Himself 2 episodes
2016 Transparent Porter Episode: "Elizah"
2016–2017 Life in Pieces Darryl 2 episodes
2016–present Chopped Junior Himself Episode: "Dinner Is Served"
2018 Desus & Mero Himself 1 episode
2018 New Girl Van Bishop 1 episode: "Godparents"

Video games

Year Title Role
2013 Grand Theft Auto V Dr. Ray De Angelo Harris
2016 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Portal Power Bebop

References

  1. ^ a b "Jerry Angelo Brooks North Carolina Birth Index". FamilySearch. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Itzkoff, Dave (27 January 2008). "JB Smoove – Curb Your Enthusiasm – Television". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Maron, Marc (9 July 2012). "Episode 295 – JB Smoove". WTF with Marc Maron. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Myers, Marc (2 June 2015). "JB Smoove's Childhood Moves". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  5. ^ a b Kramer, Peter D. (23 February 2015). "JB Smoove on Mt. Vernon, high school and more". The Journal News. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  6. ^ a b c Seinfeld, Jerry; Smoove, JB (7 July 2016). "JB Smoove: "Everybody Respects A Bloody Nose"". Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Season 8. Episode 4. Retrieved 12 July 2016. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  7. ^ Malone, Michael (January 2014). "Talking With Curb Your Enthusiasm's JB Smoove". Westchester Magazine. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Previous Nominees & Winners: 2007 Award Winners". Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on 6 December 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Nesbitt, Andy (30 January 2014). "JB Smoove dishes on how he got his role on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' Richard Sherman's passion, and his Super Bowl prediction". Fox Sports. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  10. ^ Miller, Gerri (28 February 2011). "Q&A: Comedian and Actor JB Smoove". BET. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  11. ^ Leon Black; JB Smoove; Iris Bahr (10 October 2017). The Book of Leon: Philosophy of a Fool. Gallery Books. ISBN 978-1-5011-8072-9.
  12. ^ Bibel, Sara (20 March 2014). "'Last Comic Standing' Season 8 to Premiere Thursday, May 22 on NBC With Judges Roseanne Barr, Keenen Ivory Wayans & Russell Peters". TV by the Numbers (Press release). Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  13. ^ Dry, Jude (16 June 2016). "Why JB Smoove Thinks Larry David Is A 'Different Animal' Than Jerry Seinfeld". Indiewire. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  14. ^ Reed, Ryan (22 November 2017). "Watch Sia's 'Santa's Coming for Us' Video With Kristen Bell, J.B. Smoove". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  15. ^ a b "JB Smoove". Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  16. ^ "COMEDIAN JB SMOOVE TALKS HBO'S "CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM" & MORE IN STUDIO". 8 November 2017.
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