LL Cool J
Known for
Born in Bay Shore, New York in 1968, LL Cool J is a hip-hop pioneer who became one of the format most reliable network-television leads. He broke into film with the boxing drama The Hard Way (1991) and the shark thriller Deep Blue Sea (1999), and led the ensemble of the Renny Harlin crime picture Mindhunters (2004). He then anchored NCIS: Los Angeles (2009) as Special Agent Sam Hanna across its entire fifteen-season run. Physically imposing and famously good-natured, he balances leading-man charm with the discipline of a rapper who has been at the top since the 1980s.
LL Cool J
26 Movies
12 Series
Born in Bay Shore, New York in 1968, LL Cool J is a hip-hop pioneer who became one of the format most reliable network-television leads. He broke into film with the boxing drama The Hard Way (1991) and the shark thriller Deep Blue Sea (1999), and led the ensemble of the Renny Harlin crime picture Mindhunters (2004). He then anchored NCIS: Los Angeles (2009) as Special Agent Sam Hanna across its entire fifteen-season run. Physically imposing and famously good-natured, he balances leading-man charm with the discipline of a rapper who has been at the top since the 1980s.
Movies
Plays Mr. Jones
Charlie's Angels
2000
Plays Deacon 'Deke' Kaye
S.W.A.T.
2003
Plays Preacher
Deep Blue Sea
1999
Plays Gabe Jensen
Mindhunters
2004
Plays Julian Washington
Any Given Sunday
1999
Plays Sean Matthews
Last Holiday
2006
Plays Ronny
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
1998
Plays Billy
The Hard Way
1991
Plays Frankie Brite
Grudge Match
2013
Plays Patrick Zevo
Toys
1992
Plays Deed
Edison
2005
Plays Dwayne Gittens / God
In Too Deep
1999
Plays Rapper
Wildcats
1986
Plays LL Cool J
B.A.P.S
1997
Plays Bobby Mason
The Deal
2008
Plays Marcus Ridley
Rollerball
2002
Plays Luther Pinks
Slow Burn
2005
Plays Ray Adams
Deliver Us from Eva
2003
Plays Ray Bud Slocumb
Kingdom Come
2001
Plays Roger
Caught Up
1998
Plays Darryl
Woo
1998
Plays LL Cool J
Touch
1997
Plays LL Cool J
Krush Groove
1985
Plays Jason St. Julian
Out-of-Sync
1995
TV Shows
Plays Sam Hanna
NCIS: Los Angeles
2009
Plays Marion Hill
In the House
1995
Plays Sam Hanna
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
2021
Plays Shelby Westbrook (voice)
WWII in HD
2009
Plays Sam Hanna
NCIS
2003
Plays Self
Supreme Team
2022
Plays Clarence
House
2004
Plays Jiggy Walker
Oz
1997
Plays Ridikolus
30 Rock
2006
Plays Sam Hanna
Hawaii Five-0
2010
Plays Sam Hanna (voice)
American Dad!
2005
Plays Mr. Throneberry
The Adventures of Pete & Pete
1993
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Stans
Full Filmography
NCIS
Sam Hanna · 6 episodes
2008–2026
TV
Supreme Team
Self · 3 episodes
2022
TV
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
Sam Hanna · 12 episodes
2021–
TV
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
Self - Host
2018
Film
American Dad!
Sam Hanna (voice) · 1 episode
2016–2017
TV
Grudge Match
Frankie Brite
2013
Film
Hawaii Five-0
Sam Hanna · 1 episode
2011–2012
TV
WWII in HD
Shelby Westbrook (voice) · 10 episodes
2009–2010
TV
NCIS: Los Angeles
Sam Hanna · 323 episodes
2009–
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is LL Cool J and where are they from?
LL Cool J is 58 years old, born on January 14, 1968 in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA.
What are the most famous roles of LL Cool J?
LL Cool J is best known for roles in Charlie's Angels, S.W.A.T., Deep Blue Sea.
How many movies has LL Cool J been in?
Over a 41-year career (since 1985), LL Cool J has appeared in 24 movies and 10 TV shows.
What was LL Cool J's first movie?
The career of LL Cool J began with Krush Groove (1985).
What is LL Cool J's most recent movie or series?
LL Cool J's most recent release is Stans, which premiered on August 6, 2025.
What TV shows has LL Cool J appeared in?
On television, LL Cool J has appeared in House, NCIS, American Dad!, Hawaii Five-0.
LL Cool J
1968-01-14 · Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA
James Todd Smith (better known as LL Cool J, an acronym for Ladies Love Cool James; born January 14, 1968) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC.
Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, his breakthrough came with his single "I Need a Beat" and his landmark debut album, Radio (1985). He achieved further commercial and critical success with the albums Bigger and Deffer (1987), Walking with a Panther (1989), Mama Said Knock You Out (1990), Mr. Smith (1995), and Phenomenon (1997). His twelfth album, Exit 13 (2008), was his last in his long-tenured deal with Def Jam.
A two-time Grammy Award winner, LL Cool J is known for hip hop songs such as "Going Back to Cali", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", "Rock the Bells", and "Mama Said Knock You Out", as well as R&B hits such as "Doin' It", "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover". In 2010, VH1 placed him on their "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time" list. In 2017, LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with an award for Musical Excellence.
While he first appeared as a rapper in the movie Krush Groove (performing "I Can't Live Without My Radio"), his first acting part was a small role in a high school football movie called Wildcats. He continued to work in movies from then until 1995 when he landed his own television sitcom, In the House (1995-2000).
He has appeared in numerous films, including Last Holiday, Edison, Mindhunters, S.W.A.T., Deliver Us from Eva, Rollerball, Charlie's Angels, In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, Deep Blue Sea, Halloween H20, B.A.P.S., Toys, and The Hard Way.
In 2005, he returned to television in a guest starring role on the FOX medical drama House. He also guest starred on 30 Rock in 2007, and on Sesame Street 's 39th season where he introduced the word of the day, "Unanimous” and performed "The Addition Expedition" in episode 4172 (Sept. 30, 2008).
As of 2011, he stars as Special Agent Sam Hanna on CBS's police procedural NCIS: L.A., a spin-off of NCIS. He was also the host of MTV's Lip Sync Battle.