The rapper and actor first joined the ‘NCIS’ franchise back in 2009

NEED TO KNOW

• At the NCIS: New York premiere on Oct. 1, 2026, LL Cool J reflected on playing Sam Hanna for 17 years
• The 55-year-old actor told PEOPLE that his beloved character still surprises him as he continues discovering new sides of Sam
• Now starring in the latest NCIS spinoff, Cool J sees the role as an ongoing lesson in growth and learning

For LL Cool J, playing NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna has been a 17-year journey, but the actor still does not see the character as someone he has completely figured out.

The original NCIS premiered in 2003, while Sam was introduced when NCIS: Los Angeles launched in 2009. Now, after years in the City of Angels and appearances across the franchise, LL Cool J is taking Sam into a new chapter with NCIS: New York.

At the show’s New York premiere at the Intrepid Museum on Thursday, Oct. 1, the 55-year-old rapper and actor explained why the role hasn’t become “natural” to him and still feels fresh today.

“Because we’re still finding new things and exploring new things and being introduced to new aspects of the character,” Cool J tells PEOPLE exclusively. “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.”

That continued sense of discovery has become a huge part of what keeps Sam interesting for Cool J.

After nearly two decades with the character, he sees the time spent playing Sam as a chance to understand him more deeply rather than simply repeat what came before.

And according to Cool J, the latest spinoff — which sends Sam to his hometown of New York to join a new team — offers the actor an opportunity to continue learning from his beloved character.

“Life is about learning, right? … If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse, right?” Cool J says. “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?”

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That perspective helps explain why Sam can remain familiar without becoming predictable for the actor. “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,” Cool J tells PEOPLE.

NCIS: New York premieres on CBS on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 9-10 p.m. ET/PT and streams on Paramount+.

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