J. B. Smoove

J. B. Smoove

Smoove in April 2014
Born Jerry Angelo Brooks
(1965-12-16) December 16, 1965
Plymouth, North Carolina, United States
Occupation Actor, writer, comedian, voice actor
Years active 1993–present
Spouse(s) Shahidah Omar (m. 2007)
Children 1

Jerry Angelo Brooks[1][2] (born December 16, 1965),[1][3] better known as J. B. Smoove, is an American actor, writer, comedian, and voice actor. He began his career on Def Comedy Jam in the early 1990s. He is best known for his recurring role as Leon on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Smoove joined the Season 2 cast of the Fox sitcom 'Til Death in 2008, and was promoted to the main cast for Season 3. He also starred on the CBS sitcom The Millers from 2013-2015. He currently portrays a fictionalized version of himself on the BET improv-comedy reality television parody Real Husbands of Hollywood.

Early life

Smoove was born December 16, 1965 in Plymouth, North Carolina,[4] and grew up in Mount Vernon, New York.[2] He attended Norfolk State University in Virginia. He shortened his name, Jerry Brooks, to "J.B." and added "Smoove" as his last name when he began performing stand-up comedy. J.B. Smoove 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).

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, 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. Smoove 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." Smoove has been a regular cast member on the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm since its sixth season in 2007, playing Leon Black.

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.[5] He also plays one of the "Replacers" for Call Of Duty: Black Ops II. He's also in the show Real Husbands of Hollywood. He hosts a talk show on the MSG Network called "Four Courses With J.B. Smoove". 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, Smoove 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.[6]

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

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1993–2003 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Various
1995 Def Comedy Jam Himself 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 Writer
2004–2013 Jimmy Kimmel Live! Himself
2005 Ego Trip's Race-O-Rama Himself
2007–present Curb Your Enthusiasm Leon Black 16 episodes
2007–2008 Everybody Hates Chris Manny 9 episodes
2007–2011 Comics Unleashed Himself 4 episodes
2008–2010 'Til Death Kenny Westchester 26 episodes
2008–2013 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Himself
2008 Carpoolers Parking Attendant Episode: "Wheel of Fortune"
2008 The Gong Show with Dave Attell Himself 4 episodes
2008 Talkshow with Spike Feresten Himself
2009 The Wanda Sykes Show Himself
2009 Castle Norman Jessup Episode: "Love Me Dead"
2009–2011 American Dad! Airport Security Guard / Tracey Bryant 4 episodes
2010 America's Next Top Model Himself Episode: "America's Next Top Vampire"
2010 Glenn Martin DDS Curtis / Uncle Dexter 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 Episode: "Angry Dad: The Movie"
2011 In the Flow with Affion Crockett iDaddy Episode: "Put the Kids to Bed"
2011–2013 Conan Himself
2011–2013 Funny as Hell Writer, 2 episodes
2012 J.B. Smoove: That's How I Dooz It Himself
2012 Last Call with Carson Daly Himself
2012 Watch What Happens: Live Himself
2012–2013 The Burn with Jeff Ross Himself
2012 Black Dynamite That Frog Kurtis Episode: "Just Beat It or Jackson Five Across Yo' Eyes"
2012 Bent Clem 6 episodes
2012 Louie Gravedigger #2 Episode: "Barney/Never"
2012 Robot Chicken Bosco 'B.A.' Baracus / Satan Episode: "Crushed by a Steamroller on My 53rd Birthday"
2012 The League DeRon Episode: "The Vapora Sport"
2012–2014 The Wendy Williams Show Himself
2013–present Real Husbands of Hollywood Himself 18 episodes
2013 Four Courses with J.B. Smoove Himself
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
2013–2014 The Millers Ray Main cast
2014 Chicago P.D. Sergeant Pruit Episode: "Stepping Stone"
2014–2016 Talking Dead Himself 2 episodes
2014 Last Comic Standing Himself Host
2014–present Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Anton Zeck/Bebop
2015 Uncle Drew Angelo Episode 4[7]
2016 Life in Pieces Darryl S1 Episode19: "War Pestilience Famine Death"

Videogames

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

References

  1. 1 2 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VCSN-Z69
  2. 1 2 Itzkoff, Dave (2008-01-27). "He Tells It Like It Is, Even to Larry David". New York Times.
  3. ↑ http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/dec/16/birthdays/?mobile
  4. ↑ The New York Times, "J B Smoove". Accessed July 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ The League | Only On FX
  6. ↑ Bibel, Sara (March 20, 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 March 20, 2014.
  7. ↑ Uncle Drew | Chapter 4 | Pepsi

External links

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