LL Cool J Thought ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ Would Only Last a Couple of Years
NCIS Los Angeles turned out to be as successful of a television show as the original series that inspired it. Its longevity came as a pleasant surprise for its lead star LL Cool J, who underestimated the commitment needed for the series.
LL Cool J couldn’t juggle ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ with his music
Fans saw a different side of the hip hop veteran when he played federal agent Sam Hanna on NCIS Los Angeles. Starring in television wasn’t new for LL. In addition to his flourishing film career, the rapper had a taste of the small screen when he starred in the shortlived In the House. The mid 90s sitcom saw LL Cool J playing a former football player entangled in the lives of several wacky and colorful characters. Although the show displayed the rapper’s comedic chops, it only lasted for a couple of seasons. And it seems he expected NCIS Los Angeles to have a similar lifespan.
“I signed on to the show and, quite frankly, thought it’d be over in a couple of years and I’d be back doing my thing. But it took off,” he recently told The Independent.
Los Angeles couldn’t have been any more different than In Your House. With his co-star Chris O’ Donnell, the show followed LL Cool J chasing a variety of criminals threatening their side of town. Like the original NCIS, Los Angeles was a ratings hit, and its success meant LL would be a part of the show for the long haul. This was good news for LL the actor, but bad news for LL the rapper. Initially, he believed he could juggle both his television and hip hop careers. But the amount of work required for Los Angeles actually ended up hurting his music.
“You can’t be a part-time artist,” he said. “I was on set, making creative decisions over the album by phone. It didn’t work.”
It was noted that the 2013 album “Authentic” failed to meet expectations because of this. The hard lesson learned was that LL couldn’t give his music the attention it deserved as long as he was on Los Angeles.
How LL Cool J reacted to ‘NCIS Los Angeles’ ending
Los Angeles didn’t last as long as the original NCIS, but it still enjoyed a long run. It lasted for 14 seasons before wrapping up in May 2023. Some expected LL Cool J to have a little difficulty removing himself from Sam Hannah after all these years. But speaking with ET, LL shared it was pretty easy letting go.
“Well, I gotta tell you – it’s not hard at all. CBS did an amazing thing with us; it’s been an amazing run. We’re talking about 14 years,” he said. “We’re not talking about two-and-a-half, three years and ‘Oh it was fun while it lasted.’ This was 14 years. So, I think that the show has done tremendous numbers. I mean, our last crossover did tremendous numbers. I couldn’t complain, I have nothing [to complain about]. All I could say is, ‘Wow, what a ride,’ you know what I’m saying?’”
It wasn’t LL’s last appearance as Sam, however, as the character still had a bit of a presence in NCIS’ other spin-off Hawai’i. That spin-off wasn’t as successful as Los Angeles, however, lasting only three seasons before its cancellation on May 2024.
After leaving Los Angeles, LL returned to his roots in hip hop. He released his fourteenth studio album The Force on September 6, 2024. The record has already seemingly lived up to its title. It’s received critical acclaim and is generally seen as a much better effort than its predecessor, growing the rapper’s historic legacy even further.
