Jerry Angelo Brooks (born December 16, 1965), commonly known by his stage name J. B. Smoove, is an American actor, comedian and writer. After beginning his career in 1995 on Def Comedy Jam, he was a writer and performer on NBC's Saturday Night Live (2003–06). He is best known for his starring roles on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm (2007–present) and the CBS sitcom The Millers (2013–15). He also portrayed a fictionalized version of himself on the BET improv-comedy reality television parody Real Husbands of Hollywood (2013–16). Early life Smoove was born in Plymouth, North Carolina, to parents Elizabeth and Floyd Brooks. From the time he was three years old, he grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. 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. In Mount Vernon, he grew up in the Levister Towers housing projects with his two younger brothers. Smoove's 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. Smoove worked as a perfume formulator and sold fire extinguishers door-to-door. 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). He was on Saturday Night Live for three years. 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. 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 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 taped several episodes of The Gong Show