LL Cool J Expressed Interest in NCIS Franchise Roles
The actor shared his desire to expand Sam Hanna's presence across multiple series during a recent fan panel.
Updated on Oct. 11, 2026 in Television
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LL Cool J, who portrays Sam Hanna in the new series NCIS: New York, has expressed interest in appearing across the wider franchise. The actor confirmed his desire to continue expanding his character's footprint throughout the NCIS universe during a recent public appearance.
Why it matters
As a long-running fixture in the NCIS world, LL Cool J is looking to build on his character's history by potentially appearing in multiple iterations of the popular crime procedural. His openness to future crossovers signals a strategy to maintain character continuity across the network's expanding franchise lineup.
LL Cool J starred in NCIS: Los Angeles for 14 seasons before the show concluded in May 2023. He later appeared as a recurring character in NCIS: Hawai'i during its final season.
The players
LL Cool J
The actor and musician is a central figure in the NCIS franchise who has portrayed Sam Hanna since 2009.
Brian Dietzen
The actor known for his role as Dr. Jimmy Palmer appeared in the premiere of the latest franchise installment.
The details
During a New York Comic Con panel, LL Cool J discussed his ongoing role as Sam Hanna in the recently premiered NCIS: New York. The series, which debuted on CBS, featured a crossover appearance by Brian Dietzen as Dr. Jimmy Palmer to establish a narrative connection to the original show.
Timeline
LL Cool J first portrayed Sam Hanna in the original series in 2009.
NCIS: Los Angeles officially concluded in May 2023.
The actor made appearances in NCIS: Hawai'i in 2024.
NCIS: New York held its series premiere on CBS on October 6, 2026.
The actor discussed his future with the franchise at New York Comic Con on October 11, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This move highlights the ongoing strategy to leverage established talent across the NCIS franchise expansion strategy. By keeping veteran stars in the rotation, the network aims to maintain audience loyalty as it launches new iterations of its flagship crime procedural.
Viewers can expect to see increased narrative links between various shows within the NCIS lineup as actors make guest appearances. The strategy impacts how fans consume the franchise, potentially requiring them to keep up with multiple series to follow a character's complete arc.
The takeaway
The strategy of recurring stars creates a shared universe that encourages long-term viewership across different spin-offs. Fans interested in a specific character's trajectory should monitor casting updates for upcoming guest roles in other network crime dramas.
Further reading
For more on the latest developments in prime-time programming, visit the Television section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ScreenRant.
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