Fit for an Emperor

Entertainment Fit for an Emperor

JB Smoove welcomes sports betting, Caesars Sportsbook to Arizona

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

The Emmy Awards, HBO and sports betting in Arizona have one thing in common. JB Smoove has a hand in them.

Earlier this year, Smoove received his first career Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Short Form Series for his performance as Chief Billy Bills in the “Mapleworth Murders.” The nomination and win was a long time coming for the acclaimed showman.

“I got my start in the industry in the 1990s on the comedy circuit in New York and then with Def Jam Comedy, and eventually with a gig on MTV, just like Snookie,” Smoove says with a laugh.

Technically, his MTV break came with a 1999 recurring role on the channel’s “The Lyricist Lounge Show,” not a reality television show.

In 1999, Smoove also landed a guest spot on HBO’s “The Chris Rock Show,” where he would work for the first time with Rock. In fact, Smoove eventually worked on Rock’s “Everybody Hates Chris” TV series in the mid-2000s and then star with Rock in the 2014 feature film “Top Five.”

During the nearly 15 years in between “The Chris Rock Show” and “Top Five,” Smoove worked as a cast member on “Cedric the Entertainer Presents” and earned a writing position on “Saturday Night Live,” which, in 2007, earned Smoove and his fellow writing partners a Writers Guild award for Best Comedy/Variety Series.

He also appeared in “Date Night” with Steve Carell and Tina Fey and the Farrelly Brothers-directed comedy “Hall Pass,” as well as “The Sitter” with Jonah Hill, “We Bought a Zoo” with Matt Damon and “The Dictator” opposite Sacha Baron Cohen.

In 2007, Smoove not only earned the “SNL” honors, but he began his career-defining role as Leon Black on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

“I joined in season six after my fictional sister, Loretta Black (played by Vivica A. Fox), was displaced during Hurricane (Edna) and moved in with Larry David,” Smoove says.

His character also moved into David’s palatial California mansion despite already living in Los Angeles and never experiencing Katrina-like fictional Edna himself. “I moved in and never left.”

Smoove’s masculine, ultra-confident, freeloading character quickly became a fan favorite on the highly improvised series, which follows “Seinfeld” co-creator David as he plays a version of himself living semi-retired and always annoyed in Los Angeles.

“Most people don’t know, but JB actually stands for Jerry Brooks, so I am technically the second Jerry to hilariously terrorize Larry on TV,” Smoove says.

After being derailed by COVID-19, Smoove and David will return to the small screen later this month for the much-anticipated 11th season of the series.

“While I can’t give anything away, this season is a sure bet for viewers,” Smoove says. “And you can trust me, because I am now the grand emperor of the betting world.”

While that may sound like hyperbole, Smoove is only half joking.

On September 9, Smoove rolled into Phoenix on a chariot — a luxury Uber wrapped like a chariot, to be more specific — to serve as Caesars Entertainment’s Caesar to usher in sports betting across Arizona. He joined executives from Caesars Entertainment as well as Derrick Hall and Luis Gonzalez of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the public celebration.

“The Caesars Sportsbook at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamond-

JB Smoove served as Caesar Entertainment’s Caesar to kick off sports betting across the state of Arizona. (Submitted photo)

Caesars...continues on page 15

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