Even after 17 years as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna, LL Cool J says he still hasn’t fully cracked the character.
At NCIS’ New York premiere at the Intrepid Museum on Thursday, Oct. 1, LL told PEOPLE why he still loves the role.
“Because we’re still finding new things and exploring new things and being introduced to new aspects of the character,” LL said. “So natural in the sense that I know who Sam is, but still new in the sense that I’m still being surprised every day.”
By bringing Sam back home to New York with a new team, the latest NCIS spin-off allows the actor to keep learning from his long-running character.
“Life is about learning, right? … If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse, right?” LL said. “And so, you know, like the real gift is like reading one book for four or five years straight because you learn more. That’s how you become a black belt in a specific book as opposed to reading it once and putting it down, right?”
“By playing this character and watching this human being go through all of these various, you know, peaks, valleys, and everything in between, [you] learn more about yourself. You know what I’m saying? That’s life,” LL added.
LL’S CHARACTER SAM HANNA
A former Navy SEAL, Hanna is defined by his fierce loyalty and sharp tactical skills. He has evolved from a cornerstone of the Los Angeles Office of Special Projects into a versatile veteran capable of steering entirely new chapters in the universe. In the franchise’s spin-off NCIS: New York, the character returns to his hometown to lead a fresh squad. Alongside a new partner, played by Scott Caan. Rather than treating the long-running role as settled territory, LL Cool J continues to find new layers in Hanna, using the change in scenery and team dynamics to explore uncharted sides of the beloved agent after 17 years.
NCIS: New York premieres on CBS on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 9-10 p.m. ET/PT and streams on Paramount+.