LL Cool J Returns to “NCIS” with New Spinoff and Shows No Signs of Slowing Down: ‘Dreams Don’t Have Deadlines’ (Exclusive)

Brenton BlanchetTue, October 6, 2026 at 12:34 PM UTC

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Credit: Michael Greenberg/CBS -

LL Cool J marks his franchise return as Sam Hanna in NCIS: New York

PEOPLE caught up with the multi-hyphenate about filming in his hometown of New York City and why he believes “dreams don’t have deadlines”

“I think the goal is to maximize your potential on Earth. That’s why we’re here,” he says.

After spending four decades in the spotlight as a rapper and actor, the man born James Todd Smith and known worldwide as LL Cool J can be hard to ignore — especially in his hometown. “There are certain places in New York, the people just know me, it totally depends on the neighborhood,” LL says before letting out a big laugh. “It can go from the invisible man to Elvis.”

After years living and working in L.A., the Queens native is having a full circle moment. He’s back in New York City, filming the new CBS spinoff NCIS: New York (premiering Oct. 6), continuing the arc of a character he started playing 17 years ago.

While he’s thrilled by the “great vibes” the city brings to the longtime franchise, “the world has evolved,” LL, 58, says of how much New York City has changed since his 1985 debut album, Radio, launched him into music superstardom. “People on the subway are looking down at their phones now. When I left, they were looking at newspapers. It’s just a different world.”

Scott Caan as NCIS Special Agent Nick Schaeffer and LL COOL J as NCIS Special Agent Sam HannaCredit: Cara Howe/CBS

Having played Special Agent Sam Hanna in more than 300 episodes across NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS and NCIS: Hawai‘i, he’s grateful for the opportunity. “Not many people get Rambos and Rockys and Sam Hannas,” he says. “I’m excited, and I’m just going to take it one step at a time.”

LL first became a household name in the hip-hop world. He released seven records by 1997 and won two Grammys before leaning into acting, which he once considered a way to get more people to know his music. “I don’t think that’s really changed,” he says. “It is still a way for people to discover me as an artist in all the facets of what I do.”

He parlayed his success onscreen into more gigs, like hosting the Grammy Awards five times and the competition show Lip Sync Battle for five seasons. Today, he’s putting his all into his character on the new spinoff. “I think this is going to be a fun show for people. I think people will be able to forget about their problems and live vicariously through these characters.”

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Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J on ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’Credit: Joseph Cultise/CBS via Getty

He does admit to taking some time for himself though to recharge. When asked how he unwinds after a hectic day on set, he says he likes to sit and reflect. “I just jump in that car and just grab a towel and put it behind my neck, and put on some music and just lay back and just vibe, but I don’t really get wound up, per se,” he shares.

“I’m kind of used to putting a lot of work in. So I can put a lot of work in and then I’m pretty calm right after. I’m used to those adrenaline fights. I’ve been doing that a long time. It just comes with part of the territory.”

While he’s focused on his show at the moment, the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee still performs as a rapper and has no intention of stopping: “I want to keep creating things I think are fun, keep doing things that move me, keep touching the people in various ways.”

And if LL has learned anything from his enduring TV and music success, it’s this: “Dreams don’t have deadlines,” he says. “I think the goal is to maximize your potential on Earth. That’s why we’re here. There is no finish line. It really is a journey.”

NCIS: New York premieres Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”