LL Cool J has moved from NCIS: Los Angeles to NCIS: Hawai’i.
Filming began on NCIS: Hawai’i this past week, and LL Cool J was on hand to play Agent Sam Hanna. He also participated in a traditional Hawaiian blessing.
LL Cool J was part of the NCIS: LA cast for the entire run. When the show got canceled, he talked about working on new projects.
When the NCIS: Hawai’i season finale aired last spring, many viewers were shocked to see LL Cool J appear in one of the final scenes. Now he is back for more.
Before the Hollywood strikes this past summer and fall, LL Cool J had signed on as a recurring character on the Hawaiin spin-off. And that work has now begun.
Having Agent Hanna on board gives the third NCIS spin-off additional gravitas. The character has a non-nonsense approach to doing his job and brings a unique humor to the small screen.
LL Cool J participates in NCIS: Hawai’i blessing ceremony
The video below features the NCIS: Hawai’i cast partaking in a new Hawaiin blessing ceremony. The cast and crew do this each season before filming begins.
“ICYMI, WE’RE BAAAACK!!! 🙌🙌🙌 Season 3 of #NCISHawaii started filming yesterday! Even Inoki/Brock 🐶 chimed in with perfect timing!” reads the beginning of the Instagram post.
NCIS: Hawai’i’s Vanessa Lachey (she plays Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant) can be seen in the middle of the cast. Next to her is LL Cool J, who smiles as they announce they are “back.”
More news from the world of NCIS
The new season of NCIS: Hawai’i debuts on Monday, February 12. Since LL Cool J is already on set, it suggests fans could see Agent Sam Hanna during the premiere.
With a shortened season, it’s also possible that LL Cool J appears in a higher percentage of episodes than he would have.
NCIS: Hawai’i Season 3 will likely have 13 episodes, with the season shorter due to the Hollywood strikes. Production got delayed by too many months to produce the 20+ episode season.
Vanessa Lachey also received an award for her other work. She helps produce two shows for Netflix that have turned into noteworthy hits for the streaming service.
A video from the NCIS cast was also shared from their set, with the hit drama returning to production this past week. NCIS Season 21 also debuts on February 12.
Previous episodes of NCIS: Hawai’i can be streamed on Paramount+. Fans might want to re-watch the season finale from last spring.
NCIS: Hawai’i is currently on hiatus. NCIS: Los Angeles is available for streaming on Paramount+.