LL Cool J is the epitome of, well, cool, according to the NCIS cast, who told Us they can’t wait for fans to see the actor’s latest cameo on the flagship series.
“He comes and he’s an assassin. He just comes and gets the job done,” Brian Dietzen, who plays medical examiner Dr. Jimmy Palmer, exclusively told Us Weekly at the 2026 CBS Fest on Wednesday, April 15, describing how professional LL Cool J, 58, is on set.
Diona Reasonover, who plays forensic scientist Kasie Hines, got a laugh out of Dietzen’s description, telling Us on the red carpet, “Assassin! That’s so accurate!”
Dietzen, 48, explained that fans will once again get to see that spy-like vibrato when LL Cool J jumps over to their series later this week.
LL Cool J. Robert Voets/CBS
“We have one LL Cool J coming in for [a] two part run on our show,” he shared, noting that the back-to-back episodes starring LL Cool J “dare not to be missed.”
LL Cool J will reprise his role as Special Agent Sam Hanna — which he originated on NCIS in spring 2009 before the premiere of NCIS: Los Angeles that fall — beginning with the Tuesday, April 21, episode of NCIS.
Fans will see the conclusion of his story arc the following week ahead of LL Cool J’s new series, NCIS: New York, which will premiere this fall.
“It’s a really fantastic show. It’s really wonderful,” Dietzen told Us of LL Cool J’s latest NCIS cameos, which will be the focus of the episodes titled “Reboot” and “Bad Impressions.”
LL Cool J made his NCIS universe debut in April 2009 on NCIS with a two-part backdoor pilot for NCIS: Los Angeles, which premiered that September. He starred on Los Angeles until the series ended in 2023. LL Cool J later guest starred on NCIS: Hawai’i before becoming a series regular on the third and final season in 2024.
Diona Reasonover, Brian Dietzen and Katrina Law. Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The actor has made guest appearances on NCIS throughout his career, the latest being in 2025. With every cameo, the cast of the flagship series has gotten to see firsthand just how “cool” LL Cool J is as an actor.
“Oh my gosh, [he’s] my favorite person,” Reasonover, 34, gushed. “He’s so cool. LL, is so nice. I’m, like, amazed.”
Dietzen totally agreed, explaining, “The cool part of his name, that comes from a place of reality. He’s a cool dude.”
The NCIS family just keeps growing — with eight existing or former shows as of 2025. While many fans might think the naval intelligence-based franchise began with NCIS, that’s not the case. The flagship NCIS show was actually JAG, which debuted on NBC in 1995. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter […]
Katrina Law, who plays Special Agent Jessica Knight, noted on the red carpet that LL Cool J is “always smiling.”
“He’s always prepared. More than anybody else,” she revealed.
Dietzen echoed her sentiments, telling Us, “He comes ready and he is set to go. I mean, you can see why. I mean, just an absolute titan in the industry, music, television, films, you name it. The guy knows what he’s doing.”
LL Cool J, Wilmer Valderrama. Robert Voets/CBS
Once LL Cool J finishes up his NCIS cameos this month, fans will have to wait until the fall for more from Sam Hanna. CBS announced on Wednesday that NCIS: New York, helmed by LL Cool J, will be part of its 2026-2027 fall TV lineup.
“The newest NCIS universe expansion follows Senior Special Agent Sam Hanna as he returns to his hometown, New York City, and partners with a roguish special agent” played by Scott Caan, the network revealed in a press release.
Tuesday nights in the fall will now consist of NCIS, NCIS: Origins, which will begin its third season, and NCIS: New York. NCIS: Sydney has been pushed to a midseason premiere, so season 4 won’t air until sometime in 2027.
In the meantime, fans can catch all-new episodes on NCIS, NCIS: Sydney and NCIS: Origins on CBS Tuesdays at 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET, respectively.
