J. B. Smoove

JB Smoove
Smoove in April 2014
Born	Jerry Angelo Brooks (1965-12-16) December 16, 1965 (age 51) Plymouth, North Carolina U.S.
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Occupation	Actor, writer, comedian, voice actor
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	Shahidah Omar (m. 2007)
Children	1

Jerry Angelo Brooks (born December 16, 1965), widely known as JB Smoove, is an American actor, writer, comedian, and voice actor. He began his career on Def Comedy Jam in the early 1990s, and is 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.

Smoove was born in Plymouth, North Carolina, to parents Floyd Brooks and Elizabeth Brooks. From the time he was three years old he grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. He spent a lot of his time with extended family from his mother's side in the Plymouth area, from where he said he got 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.

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

Smoove worked as a perfume formulator and sold fire extinguishers door-to-door. 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.

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). He was on Saturday Night Live for three years.