Jerry Angelo Brooks (born December 16, 1965), known professionally as J. B. Smoove, is an American comedian, actor, and writer. After beginning his career in 1995 on Def Comedy Jam, he was a writer and performer on NBC's Saturday Night Live (2003–2006). He is known for his starring roles on Fox sitcom 'Til Death (2006–2010), HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm (2007–2024) and the CBS sitcom The Millers (2013–2015). He also portrayed Julius Dell in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero films Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) and in the sequel Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
Early life Jerry Angelo Brooks was born on December 16, 1965, in Plymouth, North Carolina. His parents are Elizabeth and Floyd Brooks. From the time he was three years old, he grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, a suburb of New York City. He spent a significant amount of time with his mother and extended maternal family in the Plymouth area, which he has said inspired much of his pursuit of comedy and comedy style. He resided in the Levister Towers housing projects in Mount Vernon with his two younger brothers. His father died from diabetes when Smoove was 15 years old.
In 1983, Smoove graduated from Mount Vernon High School. He attended Norfolk State University in Virginia, studying engineering and graphic design.
Career
Smoove worked as a perfume formulator and sold fire extinguishers door-to-door.
He began his show business career in stand-up comedy, which is when he shortened his name, Jerry Brooks, to "J. B." and added "Smoove" as his last name. He has landed 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). He worked on Saturday Night Live for three years.
Smoove was a regular cast member on the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm beginning in its sixth season in 2007, playing Leon Black. Smoove landed the role after his stint on SNL. Although at that time he lived on the East Coast, he visited Los Angeles for the funeral of his friend, music producer Oji Pierce, enabling him to audition for Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Smoove wrote a book as his Curb Your Enthusiasm character, Leon, which was released on October 10, 2017.
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 appeared in 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 in The Simpsons episode "Angry Dad: The Movie" in February 2011. That same year, he starred in the American Dad! episode "The Worst Stan", and appeared in the episode "Dude, Where's My Wade" in Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil.
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. He 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 made a cameo appearance as a gravedigger in "Barney/Never", an episode of Louie. 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 was in the show Real Husbands of Hollywood, playing a fictionalized version of himself.
Smoove hosts Four Courses with J.B. Smoove, a talk show on the MSG Network. He provides the voice of Dr. Ray De 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 as Ray.
In the summer of 2014, Smoove hosted the eighth season of the NBC reality series Last Comic Standing. Smoove appeared on comedian Jerry Seinfeld's web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee in July 2016. Also in 2016, Smoove appeared in the web series Epic Rap Battles of History, portraying abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
Smoove played Santa Claus in Sia's 2017 music video, "Santa's Coming for Us". He played Julius Dell in the Marvel Studios feature film Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) and its sequel Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). In 2020, Smoove starred in Mapleworth Murders opposite Paula Pell (another former writer for Saturday Night Live) and John Lutz for Quibi, which was produced by, among others, Lorne Michaels and Seth Meyers of SNL. Beginning in the fall of 2021, Smoove played a recurring role as the titular Caesar in multiple commercials for the Caesars Sportsbook mobile app, appearing alongside Patton Oswalt, Halle Berry, Vince Vaughn, and the Manning family.
In 2019, Smoove played for the "Home" roster during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at the Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The roster was made up of celebrities with Carolina roots.
Smoove and Miles Grose co-host and created May I Elaborate? Daily Wisdom from JB Smoove, a podcast that debuted in April 2021 on the Team Coco podcast network.
In 2019, Smoove attended the final dinner service of reality TV series Hell's Kitchen'''s eighteenth season Hell's Kitchen: Rookies vs. Veterans as a chef's table guest in the blue kitchen that was run by runner-up Mia Castro. He appeared as a guest judge on the first season of the FOX reality singing competition The Masked Singer. He voiced Frank in Harley Quinn beginning in 2019.
Charity work Smoove serves on the board of directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon, New York. On November 7, 2017, he emceed the Boys and Girls Clubs Future Leaders Gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.
Honors and awards Smoove won the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for his role in Mapleworth Murders''.
Personal life In 2007, Smoove married singer Shahidah Omar. They reside in Los Angeles. He has an adult daughter named Jerrica from a previous relationship.
He is a fan of the New York Knicks, New York Yankees and the New York Jets.
He has been vegan since 2018.
Performance media Comedy specials Year Title Role Notes2012JB Smoove: That's How I Dooz ItSelf
Podcasts Year Title Role Notes2012WTF with Marc MaronSelfEpisode 295 2021–2022May I Elaborate? Daily Wisdom from JB SmooveSelf
Films Year Title Role Notes1997Lesser ProphetsChucky1998Tomorrow NightMel the Mailman2001Pootie TangTrucky2002Mr. DeedsReuben2003With or Without YouDarnell2003The Watermelon HeistNumbers2004GasIgnatius2009FrankenhoodLeon2009Hurricane SeasonTeam Bus Driver2010Date NightCabbie2011Hall PassFlats2011We Bought a ZooMr. Stevens2011The SitterJulio2012Think Like a ManBartender2012The DictatorFuneral Usher2013Movie 43LarrySegment: "The Proposition"2013A Haunted HouseKisha's Dad2013Dealin' with IdiotsCoach Ted2013The Smurfs 2HackusVoice2013Clear HistoryJaspar2014Search PartyBerk2014Top FiveSilk2015Hell and BackSal the DemonVoice2016Barbershop: The Next CutOne-Stop2016Almost ChristmasLonnie2017The Polka KingRon Edwards2018Uncle DrewAngelo2019Spider-Man: Far From HomeJulius Dell2019The Jesus RollsThe Mechanic2021On the Count of ThreeLyndell2021Spider-Man: No Way HomeJulius Dell2023Back on the StripAmos2024MúsicaAnwar
Television Year Title Role Notes1995Def Comedy JamHimselfAlso writer1998Law & OrderLevonEpisode: "Bait"2002–2003Cedric the Entertainer PresentsVariousMain role2003EdAlvinEpisode: "Second Chances"2003–2006Saturday Night LiveVariousAlso writer2004–2013Jimmy Kimmel Live!HimselfRecurring role2005Ego Trip's Race-O-RamaDocumentary2007–2008Everybody Hates ChrisMannyRecurring role2007–2011Comics UnleashedHimself3 episodes2007–2024Curb Your EnthusiasmLeon BlackRecurring role (seasons 6–8)Main (seasons 9–12)2008CarpoolersParking AttendantEpisode: "Wheel of Fortune"2008The Gong Show with Dave AttellHimself4 episodes2008Talkshow with Spike FerestenEpisode: "J. B. Smoove"2008–2010'Til DeathKenny WestchesterMain role2008–2013The Tonight Show with Jay LenoHimselfRecurring role2009The Wanda Sykes Show1 episode2009CastleNorman JessupEpisode: "Love Me Dead"2009–2021American Dad!Airport Security Guard, Radio Station Security Guard, Guy #1, Tracey BryantVoice, 6 episodes2010America's Next Top ModelHimselfEpisode: "America's Next Top Vampire"2010Glenn Martin DDSCurtis, Uncle DexterVoice, episode: "Step Brother"2010The Bonnie Hunt ShowHimself1 episode2010Late Night with Jimmy Fallon1 episode2010Lopez Tonight1 episode2011The Marriage RefEpisode: "Rachael Ray, Larry Miller, J. B. Smoove"2011The SimpsonsDJ KwanzaaVoice, episode: "Angry Dad: The Movie"2011In the Flow with Affion CrockettiDaddyEpisode: "Put the Kids to Bed"2011–2013Funny as HellWriter2 episodes2011–2017ConanHimselfRecurring role2012–2014Last Call with Carson Daly2 episodes2012Watch What Happens: LiveEpisode: "J. B. Smoove and Shannon Elizabeth"2012Black DynamiteThat Frog Kurtis, That Bastard KurtisVoice, 2 episodes2012BentClemMain role2012LouieGravedigger #2Episode: "Barney/Never"2012Robot ChickenB.A. Baracus, SatanVoice, episode: "Crushed by a Steamroller on My 53rd Birthday"2012The LeagueDeRonEpisode: "The Vapora Sport"2012–2013The Burn with Jeff RossHimself2 episodes2012–2015The Wendy Williams Show4 episodes2013Four Courses with JB SmooveHimself (host)2013Kroll ShowBasketball PlayerEpisode: "Dine & Dash"2013Chicago FireSergeant PruitEpisode: "Let Her Go"2013The Arsenio Hall ShowHimself2 episodes2013The TalkEpisode: "The Cast of "The Millers"/Sunny Anderson"2013KatieEpisode: "Exclusives with Real Husbands of Hollywood/Nelly Performs"2013–2015The MillersRayMain role2013–2016, 2022Real Husbands of HollywoodHimselfMain role2014Chicago P.D.Sergeant PruitEpisode: "Stepping Stone"2014Last Comic StandingHimself (host)Main role2014–2016Talking DeadHimself2 episodes2014–2017Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesAnton Zeck / BebopVoice, main role2015The Soul ManTerrellEpisode: "Oh Snow You Didn't"2015–2016Fresh Off the BoatBarry2 episodes2016Epic Rap Battles of HistoryFrederick DouglassEpisode: "Frederick Douglass vs Thomas Jefferson"2016Match GameHimself2 episodes2016TransparentPorterEpisode: "Elizah"2016–2017Life in PiecesDarryl2 episodes2016Chopped JuniorHimselfEpisode: "Dinner Is Served"2018Desus & Mero1 episode2018New GirlVan BishopEpisode: "Godparents" 2018–20193Below: Tales of ArcadiaPhilVoice, 10 episodes2019Hell's KitchenHimselfEpisode: "The Grand Finale"2019The Masked SingerEpisode: "All Together Now"2019–2025Harley QuinnFrank the PlantVoice, main role2020The Last O.G.Carl4 episodes2020Mapleworth MurdersChief Billy Bills9 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series 2020–2022WokeMarkerVoice, 16 episodes2021Mr. MayorTikTok VoiceVoice, episode: "#PalmTreeReform"2021Crank YankersPhilip JohnsonVoice, 2 episodes2021–2022FairfaxQuattro the PigeonVoice, 15 episodes2022PivotingThe FigVoice, episode: "The Giving Tree"2022Beat Bobby FlayHimself; guest hostEpisode: "Smoove Moves"2022Teen Titans Go!Black MantaVoice, 2 episodes2022BlockbusterPercy ScottRecurring role; 8 episodes 2023History of the World, Part IILuke4 episodes2024Good Times: Black AgainReggieVoice, 10 episodes2024Kite Man: Hell Yeah!Frank the PlantVoice, episode: "Just Right, Hell Yeah!"2026Life, Larry and the Pursuit of UnhappinessJoneseyEpisode: "McCarthy"
Video games