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LL Cool J is giving the people what they want. 

The rapper turned actor (real name: James Todd Smith) is returning to CBS this fall in the new series NCIS: New York. He’ll reprise his role as agent Sam Hanna from NCIS: Los Angeles in the show.

The latest NCIS spinoff follows Sam as returns home to New York. Back in the Big Appel, he teams up with a roguish agent played by Scott Caan and becomes part of a team led by Jennifer Beals. The show reportedly has a slightly darker edge than some other series in the NCISverse. However, viewers can still expect a positive message, LL Cool J said during a panel discussion during the 2026 PaleyFest Fall TV Previews event on September 15. 

LL Cool J wants people to ‘forget about their problems’ when they watch ‘NCIS: New York’ 

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“[Sam] wants the best for everybody, including himself. You know what I’m saying? And you know, we’re just having fun with it,” LL Cool J said during the discussion with the rest of his castmate. “Like, at the end of the day, at the end of the day, we just want to have fun. I just want people to be able to watch television, forget about their problems and the pain and the things that they’re going through and just have a moment to just see the good guys win. Just take a deep breath and watch the good guys win.”

LL Cool J added that for him, the chance to star in a new NCIS show – especially one set in his hometown – is incredibly special. 

“The universe in general was a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to be a part of, you know, the largest on TV and be a part of the universe and to be able to do another iteration in New York, you know, and come home for me is extra special, you know, it’s selfish and fun.”

The Grammy-winner shared that filming the show gave him the chance to see parts of the city he wasn’t familiar with. “Even me as a native New Yorker, we’re going to parts of New York I’ve never seen,” he said. “So, there’s a lot of people who claim to be New Yorkers who’ve never really seen New York. This is like a whole education for us.”

What makes ‘NCIS: New York’ a special addition to the NCISverse 

Beyond the setting, NCIS: New York also delivers the sense of camaraderie and teamwork that’s familiar from other shows in the universe. 

“I think the main thing that will … make this a really special contribution to the universe is not only New York, but it’s the chemistry of the cast,” LL Cool J said. “It’s the team. It’s the energy that you feel on the set. It’s the way these things are coming together.”

“We are following the procedural recipe,” he continued. “But there’s a character aspect to this thing that I think is taking it to another level and will differentiate it and make it a great contribution to the overall universe.”

NCIS: New York premieres Tuesday, October 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT/ Episodes stream on Paramount+. 

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