James Todd Smith better known as LL Cool J (acronym for Ladies Love Cool James) is an American rapper and actor. He has released thirteen studio albums and two greatest hits compilations; his newest album is 2013's Authentic, following 2008's Exit 13, which completed his record deal with Def Jam Recordings. He has appeared in numerous films, and stars as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. He was born on January 14, 1968 in Bay Shore, New York. While LL first appeared as a rapper in the movie Krush Groove (performing "I Can't Live Without My Radio"), his first acting part was a small role in a high school football movie called Wildcats. He continued to work in movies from then until 1995 when he landed his own television sitcom, In the House. In 1998 he had a role in the film Halloween H20. In 1999's Deep Blue Sea. Later that year, he had a starring role in Any Given Sunday, in which he played Julian Washington, the talented but selfish running back on the dysfunctional Miami Sharks. Since then, LL Cool J has appeared in a variety of films, such as the 2002 remake of Rollerball, Deliver Us from Eva, and S.W.A.T. In 2005, he returned to television in a guest starring role on the Fox medical drama House. He also appeared as Queen Latifah's love interest in the 2006 movie Last Holiday. He also guest starred on 30 Rock in the 2007 episode "The Source Awards" as the hip hop producer Ridiculous. Next he appeared in Sesame Street 's 39th season where he introduced the word of the day, "Unanimous” and performing "The Addition Expedition" in episode 4172 (Sept. 30, 2008). As of 2011, LL Cool J is a series regular on the CBS police procedural NCIS: Los Angeles, a spin-off of NCIS. He lives in Long Island, New York, with his wife and four children.
Series | The Man | 2025 | |
Movie | Comin' Up Short | Self | 2024-01-10 |
Series | Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World | Self | 2023-01-21 |
Movie | 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony | Self | 2023-11-03 |
Movie | A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop | Self | 2023-12-10 |
Series | They Call Me Magic | Self | 2022-04-22 |
Movie | 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony | Self | 2022-11-19 |
Movie | You're Watching Video Music Box | Self (archive footage) | 2021-12-03 |
Movie | Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell | Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage) | 2021-03-01 |
Movie | One World: Together at Home | Self | 2020-04-18 |
Movie | A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary | Self - Host | 2018-12-12 |
Series | Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party | Himself | 2016-11-07 |
Series | Greatest Hits | Unknown | 2016-06-30 |
Movie | Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert | Self | 2015-12-06 |
Series | The Late Late Show with James Corden | Himself | 2015-03-23 |
Movie | Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute | Self | 2015-02-26 |
Series | Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter | Unknown | 2015-08-02 |
Series | Lip Sync Battle | Host | 2015-04-02 |
Movie | The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles | Self - Host | 2014-02-09 |
Movie | Lennon or McCartney | Himself (archive footage) | 2014-12-12 |
Movie | Mayweather | Narrator | 2013-04-27 |
Movie | Grudge Match | Frankie Brite | 2013-12-25 |
Movie | Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You | Self | 2012-07-01 |
Movie | Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ | Self | 2012-06-07 |
Series | Hawaii Five-0 | Unknown | 2010-09-20 |
Movie | DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd | Self (archive footage) | 2009-03-19 |
Series | NCIS: Los Angeles | Sam Hanna | 2009-09-22 |
Series | WWII in HD | 2009-11-15 | |
Movie | How Bruce Lee Changed the World | Self | 2009-05-17 |
Movie | The Deal | Bobby Mason | 2008-11-20 |
Movie | ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway | Self | 2007-04-19 |
Movie | Last Holiday | Sean Matthews | 2006-01-13 |
Series | 30 Rock | Ridikulus | 2006-10-11 |
Series | So You Think You Can Dance | Unknown | 2005-07-20 |
Series | The Tyra Banks Show | Unknown | 2005-09-12 |
Movie | Slow Burn | Luther Pinks | 2005-09-12 |
Movie | Edison | Deed | 2005-07-29 |
Movie | Mindhunters | Gabe Jensen | 2004-05-07 |
Series | The Tony Danza Show | Unknown | 2004-09-13 |
Series | House | Clarence | 2004-11-16 |
Movie | Beef | Self (archive footage) | 2003-08-03 |
Series | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Unknown | 2003-01-26 |
Movie | Deliver Us from Eva | Ray Adams | 2003-02-07 |
Movie | S.W.A.T. | Deacon 'Deke' Kaye (as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J) | 2003-08-08 |
Series | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Unknown | 2003-09-08 |
Series | Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards | 2003-12-04 | |
Series | NCIS | Unknown | 2003-09-23 |
Movie | It's Black Entertainment | Self (archive footage) | 2002-02-08 |
Movie | Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1 | 2002-01-01 | |
Movie | Rollerball | Marcus Ridley | 2002-02-08 |
Series | American Idol | Unknown | 2002-06-11 |
Movie | Kingdom Come | Ray Bud Slocumb | 2001-04-11 |
Series | 106 & Park | Unknown | 2000-09-11 |
Movie | Charlie's Angels | Mr. Jones | 2000-11-02 |
Movie | Deep Blue Sea | Preacher | 1999-07-28 |
Series | Teen Choice Awards | Himself | 1999-08-01 |
Movie | Any Given Sunday | Julian Washington | 1999-12-22 |
Movie | In Too Deep | Dwayne Gittens / God | 1999-08-25 |
Series | The Early Show | Unknown | 1999-11-01 |
Movie | Rapmania: The Roots of Rap | 1999-10-31 | |
Movie | Caught Up | Roger | 1998-02-27 |
Movie | Woo | Darryl | 1998-05-08 |
Movie | Halloween H20: 20 Years Later | Ronald 'Ronny' Jones | 1998-08-05 |
Movie | Touch | LL Cool J | 1997-02-14 |
Movie | B.A.P.S | LL Cool J | 1997-03-28 |
Series | The View | Unknown | 1997-08-11 |
Series | Oz | Unknown | 1997-07-12 |
Movie | The Right to Remain Silent | Charles Red Taylor | 1996-01-07 |
Series | Clive Anderson All Talk | Unknown | 1996-10-06 |
Series | The Daily Show | Unknown | 1996-07-22 |
Series | In the House | Marion Hill | 1995-04-10 |
Movie | Out-of-Sync | Jason St. Julian | 1995-06-04 |
Series | The Frank Skinner Show | Unknown | 1995-09-10 |
Movie | The Show | Self | 1995-08-25 |
Series | MADtv | Unknown | 1995-10-14 |
Series | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Unknown | 1993-09-13 |
Movie | Toys | Captain Patrick Zevo | 1992-12-18 |
Movie | The Hard Way | Billy | 1991-03-08 |
Movie | Simply Mad About the Mouse | Self | 1991-07-15 |
Series | MTV Unplugged | Unknown | 1989-11-26 |
Movie | Big Fun in the Big Town | Self | 1986-06-06 |
Movie | Wildcats | Rapper | 1986-02-14 |
Movie | Krush Groove | LL Cool J | 1985-10-25 |
Series | Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest | Self - Performer (Times Square) | 1972-12-31 |
Series | The Grammy Awards | Unknown | 1959-11-29 |
Series | Today | Unknown | 1952-01-14 |