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 best known for his starring roles on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm (2007–2024) and the CBS sitcom The Millers (2013–2015). He also portrayed a fictionalized version of himself on the BET improv-comedy reality television parody Real Husbands of Hollywood (2013–2016). He also portrayed Julius Dell in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies; Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) as a main role, and later reprised his role as a minor role in the sequel Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
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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.
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.