It's been twenty years since Curb Your Enthusiasm landed on HBO as one of the most unparalleled comedies ever made. In that time, it has remained a singular comedic experience that has not only gone unmatched, but no one has even tried to touch it. Granted, no one could come close to the genius of Larry David.
But Larry is not the only great aspect of Curb. When the show was potentially weakening a bit from repetitive storylines, a new character was introduced to the show. Not only did J.B. Smoove's Leon Black liven up the Curb formula, but he became one of the best characters in the entire show. And there are some crucial things that fans need to know about Leon, too.
He Is Larry's Kindred Spirit
Larry has a ton of friends (by some miracle) on the show, who remain in his orbit over the course of the ten season run for Curb. Jeff Greene is probably his closest friend, but Richard Lewis, Marty Funkhouser, and Ted Danson remain in close contact with Larry, too.
But no friend is a kindred spirit like Leon is. He is bald and bold, brash and filter-less in everyday society. He is just the kind of guy who would get along with Larry. They're always on the same page, speaking one another's language. That's a kindred spirit who is worth holding onto.
Leon Never Lived Through a Hurricane
Fans might remember that the Black family was first introduced to Larry's world after Cheryl took them in to help them get back on their feet when a hurricane devastated their way of life.
At first, Loretta Black is the one who puts the move into the David household in motion after Hurricane Edna. But things quickly evolve out of control on Curb and, against Larry's wishes, Loretta's entire family found their way into the house. This included Leon, a member of the family who also just so happened to have not faced Hurricane Edna at all. It's a classic Leon maneuver.
There Is Not As Much Relationship Expertise As He Might Want You To Think
Throughout the entire arc of Leon's character (which, granted, is not necessarily ever moving the needle of development), he is often seen as some sort of sage matchmaker for Larry. He always has an opinion on relationships and romance, but too often these opinions end up leading the recipients of the advice into trouble.
For example, Leon shoulders responsibility for any affairs that Larry engages in, believing himself to be implicit in them, as well. Of course, he's only concerned with his own role in the matter and he overlooks the fact that Larry is cheating on Leon's sister, who has cancer. But remember, Larry and Leon are kindred spirits, after all.
How J.B. Smoove Got The Part
The entire sequence of events that led to J.B. Smoove joining the cast of Curb was entirely spontaneous. In town, Smoove just happened to be in Los Angeles at the time that auditions were being held for the Leon role on Curb.
This got him in the door to flex his comedy chops for the Curb threatened to slap Larry producers, but it was Leon's audition that left the real Larry David saying, "Who is this guy?" While performing improvisational comedy during the audition, J.B. elevated the situation when he, a bold move that was entirely in character with what Leon would have done.
Jay Pharoah Once Played Leon, Too
When Smoove was attending the funeral, his tenure on Saturday Night Live was coming to an end. He and David had great comedic sensibilities that did not entirely jive with what brand of comedy SNL dabbles in.
Fortunately, they found success outside of NBC's 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios. And it was Smoove who got the last laugh when SNL cast member Jay Pharoah played Leon in a 2016 sketch that mashed up Larry David's Bernie Sanders impression with a parody of a Curb episode. From SNL outcast to getting an SNL homage, it was quite an arc for Smoove.
He Does Great Character Work
Leon is more than just a freeloader who lounges around and does whatever he wants, giving horrible advice to Larry in the process. He can also be called upon to help any one of Larry's schemes or business endeavors. And he's always willing to commit to the bits, too.
When Larry was orchestrating a reunion of the Seinfeld cast (before streaming inevitably does the same), he employed Leon's talents to recruit Michael Richards to the fold. Leon's character, Danny Duberstein, is fully realized and he pulls off a perfect performance to convince Richards. Even though the real Duberstein is dead, Leon filled him with such exuberance and life.
The Friendship Between Him And Larry Was An Unlikely One
Watching season ten of Curb can often lead to fans forgetting where the show came from. For example, it is quite easy to forget that Larry and Leon were not always destined to become such close friends with one another.
In fact, when Leon first moved into the home, Larry wanted absolutely nothing to do with them. Eventually, Larry concocted a scheme to move the Black family out of his home, but when he saw his relatives leave, Leon decided to eat Chinese food in his room instead of joining them. Leon was just too funny to leave and fortunately, the friendship blossomed anyway.
He Is A Toast Expert
Speaking of Leon's affinity for food, it might be the one topic he gives his opinion even more than romance. It always seems like Leon is snacking on something, but one of his most memorable diatribes came in regards to the etiquette surrounding toasting bread.
Back in season six, a toaster ends up wreaking havoc in the world of Larry David. At one point, he removes Leon's toast from the toaster, prompting Leon to yell, "You can’t pause toast, Larry! It loses its essence!" It is the favorite Leon quote of many and a perfect testament to the unwritten rules of living together. And everyone knew exactly what he was talking about, too.
His Demeanor Is Closer to Friendliness Than Aloofness
In one of the more recent episodes of Curb, which aired a couple of weeks ago, the gang traveled to Cabo for Mickey's (Timothy Olyphant) wedding. Leon came along for the trip, even though he was not invited to the wedding.
He was entirely nonplussed about this, however, because when Mickey asked if Leon would attend, he blew it off and said he was entirely uninterested in doing so. If Larry had done this, he would have been derided and called aloof and rude. But Leon did it with such confidence that it proved him to be so likable that Mickey began hanging out with him after the ceremony.
He Will Always Be One Of The Gang
Going off of the connection Leon has with other people, there is no denying his inclusion in the gang, especially during scenes when the lifelong Larry David entourage is gathered around. And Leon fits in and belongs, as if he was always part of the group.
That's because he is an effortless fit into one of the great HBO comedy casts ever assembled. As long as Larry David wants to continue making new episodes of Curb, whenever that may be, there's going to be a spot for Leon to take part in the fun, as well.