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From his humble beginnings working at a perfume shop in high school to becoming one of the most beloved cast members on HBO’s hit series “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” comedian JB Smoove’s motto of “never disappoint” has propelled him through life with a tenacious appetite for always moving forward.
During a sit-down interview with Fox News Digital, the comedy legend opened up about the moments that helped shape him into who he is today, as well as his plans for the future.
Though Smoove’s success may seem effortless today, his path was anything but. The comedian has faced numerous challenges throughout his life, each cultivating the perseverance and “never disappoint” attitude that defines him now.
Growing up in a housing project in Mount Vernon, New York, Smoove attributed his experiences during that time — including losing his father at just 15 years old — to molding him into who he was destined to be.
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“I always say, you are what you eat. And people think you are what you eat means food. But it’s not. It’s whatever you’re consuming through your ears, through your sight, to what you are speaking out loud, the company you keep. That isn’t what you eat. That’s what your body is consuming,” Smoove explained. “What you eat means everything I’ve ever been through, everything I have ever seen, everyone who I ever hung out with, everybody who I’ve lost, everybody I’ve gained as friends… all that plays a part in how you see life.”
One of the formative experiences he fondly recalled was his first real job in high school, working at a small perfume shop in his hometown. Not only did Smoove fall in love with the artistic process of creating new scents, he developed a deep respect for the shop owner who took him under his wing.
“I started loving the process of the ingredients. They had these little scent sticks — you would stick it in there, you would crack it — and my sense of smell became so good that I could tell you exactly what’s in it, even with 10 ingredients. He taught me how to do all that stuff,” he recalled.
Looking back on the experience, Smoove told Fox News Digital that the shop owner taught him “how to be creative” by showing him how to create something original.
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That early creative spark stayed with him through college, where Smoove studied graphic design before discovering a new passion — comedy.
“The first thing I ever did in this space, as far as being a comedian and an actor, was I took an improv class … at the old Improv comedy club on 44th Street and 9th Avenue here in New York City,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I was also a big fan of sketch shows too. So that includes ‘SNL,’ that included ‘SCTV,’ that included ‘Benny Hill,’ that included Paul Hogan. All these shows I was a big fan of, so these are all things that I think, all those little pieces make one person.” Smoove continued.
The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star said he took the improv classes because he wanted to find his on-stage identity.
“I wanted to find out who I was going to be on that stage, man. How can I hone what I do naturally as a funny friend, as a funny son. How can that make that work for me? And how can I use that to make people laugh, make people happy? And then I took that improv class, and literally my class ended that summer, and the club closed that summer,” he recalled.
“It was so weird that I was able to get that in with the right teacher before that club closed down. It’s timing sometimes. I took a little tool, and I took the little improv tool, and I put it in the toolbox. And I had that [at] my disposal. Now I know what I’m doing on-stage.”
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After getting his first big break as a writer for “Def Comedy Jam,” Smoove was able to take those improv skills that he added to his toolbox and apply them to working on the set of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” as a writer and performer in 2003.
Although it may have seemed like the peak of his career at the time, just a few years later he would land the role that would define it — Leon Black on what he calls “the greatest improvised show in TV history,” Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
“From being a big fan of the show and watching the show religiously and to say to the universe, ‘I love this show,’ and have my wife say, ‘You’re gonna be on that show one day, I could see you and Larry together,’ and end up on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ is to me, that just says it, you know?” he recalled.
“I didn’t step on toes, I didn’t burn no bridges, I just kind of did what I did … Sometimes you’ll get there when you’re ready. You get that opportunity when you’re ready for it,” Smoove added.
After the show aired its final episode in 2024, Smoove’s time as Leon Black came to a close, but the next step in his creative journey began.
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The comedian teamed up with United Entertainment Group (UEG) founder and CEO Jarrod Moses to combine their unique mixture of talents and take over the comedic advertising space.
Smoove plans to bring the same laughs he commands in his movies and television shows to the advertisements “The First Darrin” will produce.
“I want to hit you immediately. I want to be able to let the brand see a different way of doing it — creativity-wise — and also all the rules. The pace, I believe, in a certain amount of laughs per 30 seconds. I want to get your attention. I want your eyebrows to go up. I want you to hear that while you’re washing dishes and peek in the room and say, ‘Oh, I knew it was that commercial. I love this commercial!” he said.
While Moses describes Smoove as the “comedic genius” of the duo, the UEG CEO is also no stranger to the comedy industry, co-founding the New York Comedy Festival over 20 years ago alongside comedy champion Caroline Hirsch.
Moses met Smoove around the time of the festival’s inception, while the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star was still focusing primarily on stand-up comedy. The entertainment mogul explained to Fox News Digital the moment he knew the comedian could go far in the creative advertising space.
“I knew JB back in those days of comedy and stand-up, obviously following his career. But what really brought it to life was, a few years ago, we partnered up for a campaign with White Claw, and I just saw his comedic genius in the development of that campaign. I said, ‘This guy can really do a lot more in this space.’ And also on a parallel path, he was developing the idea to become more involved in the advertising world,” he recalled.
“So it’s kind of two powers united at that point in time, and we started building the business plan. And so now it’s coming to life finally,” Moses added.
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