By Samantha Ofole-Prince
JB Smoove is a living, breathing example of comedy.
The actor, writer and stand-up comedian best known for his hilarious role as Leon on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has had recurring roles on the TV show “Everybody Hates Chris.”
A steady fixture on the comedy club circuit, JB (aka Jerry Brooks) got his big break on NBC’s Saturday Night Live as a writer, and it’s his humorous ability and high octave energy that has transcended into a stellar movie career with films like “Pootie Tang,” “Mr. Deeds” with Adam Sandler, “Date Night” with Steve Carell, and more recently “Hall Pass” with Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis.
“This movie is about two guys who always look at women when they are with their wives, and their wives give them a hall pass, which is a week off from being married to see what happens,” shares JB, “If you take the H out of Hall and the P out of Pass, you are left with all ass,” jokes the comedian, who plays best friend to Wilson and Sudeikis’ character in the film.
“I play one of their buddies named Flats, and I get a chance to watch from the sideline and live through their experiences a little bit,” continues the actor, who also stars as a series regular on FOXs hit sitcom “Til Death.”
“I am the funny best friend in the movie and the guy who is pushing these guys because I want to see some action,” says JB. “These guys have the unique opportunity to have a hall pass, as their wives have gone away and left town for a week, but they are past their prime and they shouldn’t be out there chasing girls, for they don’t even know where to find girls at.”
Directed by the Farrelly Brothers (“There’s Something About Mary”) “Hall Pass” is about a married man, who is granted the opportunity to have an affair by his wife and stars Jenna Fisher and Stephen Merchant. For JB, coming onboard the project provided an opportunity for him to work with Owen Wilson.
“Me and Jason actually worked together on SNL as writers, and this movie provided a chance for me to work with Owen Wilson, who I haven’t worked with before,” says JB, who credits Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx and Eddie Murphy as comedic inspirations. ”They trusted me enough in this movie to take the character and make it my own. Comedy is taking tragedy and turning it around. I am positive I can make great choices and can do both a dramatic and a comedic role.”
A gifted artist, who continues to entertain audiences all over the world with his unique brand of comedic funk, JB has been featured on Comedy Centrals “Tough Crowd”, “Jamie Foxx Presents: Laffapalooza”, SNL sketches and he has several upcoming projects including “The Sitter” with Jonah Hill and Sam Rockwell, a voice-over project in “Ice Age 4” and a feature film with Matt Damon called “We Bought a Zoo” which is scheduled for release later in the year.
