The wait is almost over for NCIS fans to see LL COOL J back on the flagship series as Sam Hanna — and Us Weekly has an exclusive first look at his return.
“Guess who’s back?” LL COOL J teases in Us’ exclusive sneak peek at the Monday, April 21, episode, sitting inside the NCIS offices that fans will instantly recognize.
The video then jumps to LL COOL J in character as former NCIS: Los Angeles special agent Sam Hanna popping into an autopsy alongside Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), special agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) and forensic scientist Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover).
“We’re going to get a special visit from one of our family members, LL COOL J,” Wilmer Valderrama, who plays special agent Nick Torres, reveals in the preview. He reminds viewers, “You met Sam Hana 15 years ago on a little show called NCIS: Los Angeles.”
LL COOL J recalls working with the NCIS team “a couple of times,” calling the crossovers “cool” and “always fun.”
The NCIS cast completely agrees that LL COOL J’s visit can’t be missed. “He is so much fun. I really, truly enjoy having him here,” Katrina Law, who plays special agent Jessica Knight, says.
As glimpses at Knight and Sam fighting side by side on the episode flash across the screen, Sean Murray confirms the upcoming case is “just fun” with “new dynamics.” Murray, who plays special agent Timothy McGee, adds, “I mean LL, he’s fantastic.”
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When it comes to Monday’s episode, which is titled, “After the Storm,” Valderrama, 45, teases, “We’re going to try to keep people guessing.”
The preview then shows Torres and Knight, guns drawn, approaching a man covered in blood as he hits stunned at a bus stop. The bloodied man is later identified as an associate of Sam, which is how he joins the Washington, D.C. agents to crack the case.
“A friend of Sam’s gets tied up with a group and the only person that this friend of his is willing to trust with the info is Sam Hanna,” LL COOL J explains in the video.
Law, 39, reveals that after Knight and her pals call up Sam, “He shows up and he brings all the LL COOL J glory.”
LL Cool J Announces Surprise ‘NCIS’ Return as Sam Hanna
Elsewhere in the preview, Sam arrives at NCIS headquarters wearing a suit, which is not his regular wardrobe. “Even a man of steel has to dress like Clark Kent once and a while,” Sam jokes after being asked about his change in style.
“It’s really just about fun. I like the character. I think he’s a very cool character. He’s beloved and he’s fun,” LL COOL J tells the cameras, promising that the new episode will have “all the same chemistry” fans love “plus, a little more action. Plus, a little more suspense.”
LL COOL J initially played former Navy SEAL Sam on a season 6 episode of NCIS, which aired in May 2009. The episode acted as a backdoor pilot for NCIS: Los Angeles, which ran from September 2009 to May 2023, totaling 14 seasons. (He also made a cameo on a season 20 NCIS episode, which aired in 2023.)
The actor reprised his role as Sam on NCIS: Hawai’i beginning with season 2. He remained on the series for season 3 before Hawai’i was canceled in April 2024.
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Last month, LL COOL J announced he was slipping back into Sam’s shoes for an April episode of NCIS. “Back on set, baby. NCIS. Let’s get it,” he said in a March social media video.
On Monday, LL COOL J will make his cameo on season 22 of NCIS. The episode follows the team as the investigate a trio of combat veterans who are found murdered in a D.C. motel room. “NCIS tracks down a suspect who refuses to talk to anyone but Sam Hanna,” the official logline reads.
NCIS airs on CBS Mondays at 9 p.m. ET. Episodes air next day on Paramount+.
