J.B. Smoove to bring 'Physical Therapy Tour' to Carolina Theatre in Durham

J.B. Smoove is finally coming home to perform in his home state of North Carolina.

On Saturday night, the Plymouth, North Carolina, native is bringing his “Physical Therapy Tour” to the Carolina Theatre in Durham.

Smoove’s performance was initially scheduled for Oct. 1, 2022, but it got rescheduled due to Hurricane Ian.

Smoove works as an actor, comedian and writer. He is known for his role as Leon Black on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

WRAL’s Out and About caught up with Smoove ahead of his Durham performance, which included what to expect from his tour, shooting season 12 of “Curb” and his future comedic endeavors.

Buy tickets to Saturday night's performance: Click or tap here

WRAL Out and About: What does it mean to you to perform in your home state?

Smoove: It means that … you get a chance to touch base with people. I’ve got a lot of family and friends that live in … Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, the whole area.

It’s a good chance for us to … It’s like a family reunion sometimes because [I’m] from there. My hometown is an hour and half away, which is in Plymouth.

It gives me the chance to reconnect with people, and family and friends. This is what it’s all about, man. It’s familiar to me. You know what I mean? The feel.

I always said, man, if I … I always think about, ‘What if I never left North Carolina and I was still down here? Would I still be doing what I do?’ And, honestly, I think I would probably would be still doing exactly what I do on a different scale, in a different way, but I truly love the genuine laughter I get from certain states.

I always recommend people … If you’re planning to move across states and you drive by North Carolina, you made a big mistake. Make a U-Turn and go back.

WRAL Out and About: I assume you’re going to bring a little bit of ‘extra sauce’ on Saturday considering you’ll probably will have friends and family in the audience.

Smoove: Yeah! I tell people all the time, man, my friends are going to show up. Now, if you look down and see anybody with red clay on their shoes, those people are from my hometown [in] ‘North Cakalacky.’ That’s my people from Plymouth somewhere, you know?

But yes. I was born to have a good time though, man. This is what I do, man. I’ve been doing this for a long time.

Outside [of] the acting, outside [of] the commercials, outside [of] all the other stuff, the animation and the ‘Spider-Man’ movies and all the fun stuff … [everything I’ve] had the amazing [chance] to do, standup is still my first love because standup is in the moment.

It’s not a movie where you shoot and you see it eight, ten months [or maybe] a year later. TV you see months later.

You’re talking about raw, fun in the moment with your audience and this is what standup is all about.

And, I think the comedian has a unique opportunity to be an amazing voice coming out of the craziness through the past three years. And, I think this is kind of what comedians do and have always done, which is we attach ourselves to the time in the moment that we're living in.

And, I think we need the comedians around. So, I know there is a lot of PC stuff going on ... but I still believe that the rawness of comedians, you will never get from [anybody] else.

I think being a comedian and being a poet go hand in hand.

WRAL Out and About: Right now, you’re filming season 12 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Do you get as hyped when the announcement comes out that another season is coming out as fans do?

Smoove: It’s a big deal, but you know what? We all kind of wait around for Larry [David] to make his decision whether he’s coming back or not. He’ll tease you a little bit.

[He’ll go], ‘Eh … We’ll see about a season 12.’ He’ll nod his little head … so … we’re at Larry’s disposal, so when he’s ready, we’re ready. And, season 12 is really a blast.

In typical “Curb” form, we are in our zone and we’re having a blast already. I’ll be shooting for the next few months, but we are having a great time as always.

I can’t wait for everybody to see this, season 12. And, it’s going to be spectacular, man.

WRAL Out and About: Are there any nuggets you can share about season 12 of “Curb Your Enthusiam?” In other interviews, “Curb” actors are coy about details of what new seasons are about. Can you spill any sauce specifically for this interview? What’s the best way to ask you about it?

People love a little sauce. I will say this. This is one thing that people love to hear [in] that we are consistently our characters on the show ...

It’s definitely … worth watching because certain shows have the ability to attach themselves to the times, and “Curb” is one of them. Larry is brilliant. Everyone on the show is so amazing, man. And, this is the perfect show, I think, for any timeline that we live in because it’s the most real to me.

When I took an improv class, I’m telling my age, back in 1989 [or] 1988, who would think that I would have the opportunity to be on probably the greatest improvised show in TV history?

So, this is kind of … it fits the mold, it fits the time, it fits everything you need and those true fans know what to expect from “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

I can’t give you much as far as the nuggets, you know? We have a closed set. We got everything. Larry doesn’t play around. He likes … people really have this amazing moment of surprise and laughter.

People say “Curb” is cringeworthy.

WRAL Out and About: Do you Larry [David] ever bond over — what some people may call — your shorter stints at “SNL?”

Smoove: Oh, man … Yeah, we do. We laugh at that all the time.

WRAL Out and About: It worked out, J.B.

It worked out, but there is definitely a bond there that is indescribable. The machine that is “SNL” is a beast, and you got to be ready for it, man.

I would tell anybody and everyone that it’s probably the greatest onset training you’re going to ever have because it’s live TV, and the pace is up and people are running and changing outfits for the next sketch, all live. And, it’s something else to … see that thing in motion, man.

I tell Larry all the time… Larry and I have a lot in common as far as being comedians as far as being writers on “SNL,” as far as … we think a lot alike, but I think you can still attach your sensibilities to … although we’re not completely the same. They don’t mirror each other, but [there are] a lot of similarities between me and that guy.

So, I say that people meet for a reason, you know? And, you don’t know how that relationship is going to be formed, but somehow, you’re supposed to be where you’re supposed to be at. And, I think I’m supposed to be on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and I think I’m supposed to have Larry.

And, the things we talk about off-camera are hilarious. The things we do in front of the camera are hilarious because I think … you carry your personality and who you are everywhere you go. It’s like a badge of honor … but I think that this guy has created a historic show and yeah, it works. And, I think being a big fan of the show before I even got on the show is a plus.

So, all this things come hand in hand, work hand in hand in your progression as far as an actor and comedian. I think we are touched by so many different things that we don’t even know … we have no idea, so we take that little tool and we put that little tool in our toolbox, but we don’t know how we’re going to use it yet. But, at some point, we got to open that toolbox and say, ‘Oh, yeah. I’ve got one of those.’ I think that’s what … true comedy is. Having one of those tools in your toolbox to use when you need to.

That’s [how] improv became my tool, and I use it everywhere in my standup. I use it in movies [and] TV. And, I think, once you present something, a style, the right directors, the right people come on board, you’re able to use it, and they allow you to use it because there’s … people write scripts all the time, but they also want to see how it is on speak, so that’s what I’ve been allowed to do.

It’s a blessing, man … it’s just a blessing to be busy and be able to take people on this ride with [me]. It’s definitely a fun show.

Everything I’ve ever done, I consider it a part of my development. I’m 57 years old, and I still feel like I’m in the mix. I’m busy. I still have this great opportunity to do some really, really groundbreaking things as far as versatility and all the things that go along with being a character-actor and a comedian. So yeah, it’s always fun.

WRAL Out and About: What motivates you to keep going because you’ve done a lot of things in your career?

What motivates me is people … truly being able to make people happy and truly being able to satisfy fans, and … but, at the same time … I get the opportunity not only as an actor and a comedian … I’m putting my producer hat on.

We just started our own company now, a production company called Ultimate Side Productions, and we’re going to be doing a lot of great things.

People have probably seen me on my commercial campaigns whether it was Crown Royal [or] whether it was my new Caesar campaign where I’m playing Caesar and …

WRAL Out and About: With the Mannnings!

Yeah, man. Come on!

I’m like wallpaper in [Las] Vegas, man. It’s like crazy. I’m on all the jumbotrons, and it’s crazy, man.

But, I get a chance to do all that stuff, but also, I get a chance to be in front of the camera and I get a chance to be behind the camera, putting some amazing people in some projects And, I think that’s what it’s all about Is building a portfolio of major work in front of the camera, and now, also, behind the camera.

So, they’ll be a great balance there of different shows you’ll see: Scripted, unscripted, movies, TV, commercial campaigns.

And, we’re also doing this amazing thing with advertisers where we do branded entertainment, meaning we will help you sell your product, and use our skills as writers and performers to sell your product.

I’m a part of so many different campaigns. The Caesars campaign, of course. JUST Egg is another one I’m a part of, but I’ve done Reebok, I’ve done Audi, I’ve done you name it, man. I’ve done, across the board, some amazing campaigns, man.

I think there is always something really cool about selling a product in a funny way, in a fun way, making something memorable, so you always remember that commercial that made you laugh, that made you smile, that made you want to buy the product.

So, these are all things that I love to do, you know what I mean? And, I think that’s a big part of your longevity …

People used to tell me, ‘Oh, man, you’re everywhere.’ And, I like hearing that, you know what I mean? I like hearing, ‘J.B., you’re everywhere,’ but it’s like crazy because … it’s really about when everything is debuting [or] when they come out, and I talk about planting these seeds, and I just do a lot of work through the year, and everything kind of comes out when it comes out.

And, it seems like I’m everywhere, but it takes a long time to actually appear on TV. It takes months and months and months, but a lot of times things just go in order, and it shows you how fast time is going.

It’s crazy how time is speeding up a little bit. It feels like it’s speeding up a little to me. It feels like I just started my 2022, but now I’m in 2023. It’s crazy.

And, then for us, as actors we’ve got award the whole top of the month, you’ve got all the award shows, you’ve got [the] Super Bowl, you’ve got [the NBA] All-Star Game and before you know it’s May. It’s like, wait a minute, how am I halfway through the year already?

It’s crazy how it works, but yeah … Everything you shot at the top of the year comes out towards the end of the year, so you’re back again doing publicity, doing things. So, you’re always busy, but it’s a good busy.

It’s good to be wanted [and] good to be seen. It’s good to continue to entertain people and I think that’s what … that’s something a comedian cherishes is a captivating audience, people’s support and love what you do.

A golf swing, I call it … Once you get your golf swing, you don’t [have] to look at the ball [anymore] because the last time you seen that ball, you put it on that tee, and you swung at it and you put that club in that bag, and you start walking because you know where that ball landed at already, you know what I mean? So, if you can master that, you can attach that to anything in life that you want to try to do.

And, comedians inspire all kinds of things, it doesn’t have to be what I do. But, it’s what you do that’s important. If you’re motivated and you’re inspired by what I do, it’s a win-win.