“Taught me a lot”: When LL Cool J revealed what he learned from working on NCIS: Los Angeles

LL Cool J became a household name with his memorable performance as Sam Hanna in NCIS: Los Angeles. The rapper and actor was already an established name in the entertainment industry, but his role in the police procedural drama introduced him to a wider television audience, earning him global fame.

However, acclaim and popularity aren’t the only things that LL Cool J earned due to his time on NCIS: Los Angeles. In a 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actor revealed that working on the CBS show was a special experience for him as he got to learn a lot from his co-stars and the production team.

Highlighting how he got to know new things by working with people of different backgrounds, cultures, and regions in the series, LL Cool J said:

“[The show] taught me a lot. Because day in and day out, I work with people from all over the country and all over the world. You know, I would have never been exposed in the same day.”

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LL Cool J once revealed what he learned from the diverse cast and crew of NCIS: Los Angeles

Talking about how individuals from various backgrounds came together to work on NCIS: Los Angeles, LL Cool J said he not only learned about traditions, festivals, and professions, but also realized that all humans are essentially the same despite their differences:

“I have one guy celebrating Rosh Hashanah and another guy from West Virginia and another guy who's in a biking thing and another guy who's Irish and... this person from the islands, and I'm working with all of these people every day. So you learn.”

“You learn that people are people. You learn that people are human and all of those unconscious bias that you have that makes you hesitate to embrace certain types of people, all that falls away because you realize everybody's the same. It's different, but we the same, you know what I'm saying?”

LL Cool J played NCIS Senior Special Agent and ex–Navy SEAL Sam Hanna across all 14 seasons from 2009 to 2023. Over time, he became a fan favorite due to his intelligence, dedication, and devotion to his family and friends. The rapper said his character has also impacted the way he thinks in real life:

“The way he thinks. They have to think strategically. His understanding of military strategy, all of those things, you can't help but learn it because you're in it every day. How they approach life. The difference between strategy tactics and operations -- all of that helps, but just the humanity, that for me it was just... It's just a dope character.”

Following the conclusion of NCIS: Los Angeles, LL Cool J reprised his role in NCIS: Hawai'i. He was then again seen in the franchise in the mothership NCIS series, appearing in the Season 22 episode After the Storm, which gave fans a heavy dose of nostalgia.

Apart from LL Cool J, NCIS: Los Angeles starred Chris O'Donnell as G. Callen, Daniela Ruah as Kensi Blye, Linda Hunt as Henrietta "Hetty" Lange, Peter Cambor as Nate Getz, Barrett Foa as Eric Beale, Eric Christian Olsen as Marty Deeks, Renée Felice Smith as Nell Jones, Gerald McRaney as Hollace Kilbride, and Caleb Castille as Devin Rountree.

NCIS: Los Angeles is available to stream on Paramount+.