LL Cool J Joins NCIS: Hawai’i Following NCIS: Los Angeles Cancelation; Will Reprise His Role in Season 3

NCIS: Los Angeles fans have still been coming to terms with the cancelation of the show as the finale brought the series to a close, but there has been some unexpected good news as LL Cool J will be swapping LA for Hawaii as he joined NCIS: Hawai’i in the finale of season 2 as Sam Hanna and will be doing so again in season 3.

Like every popular franchise with many connecting branches, it is not hard to fan-favorite characters to switch from one spin-off show to another, as has been seen in the likes of The Walking Dead, so LL Cool J’s swap is probably not as surprising as it sounds. The second season finale of the Vanessa Lachey-led series, entitled Dies Irae, saw Lachey’s Jane Tennant under attack in Venezuela and finding assistance from to her and Kate Whistler’s (Tori Anderson) aid in the form of Sam. While it could have been one off cameo appearance from LL Cool J, whose real name is James Todd Smith, it seems that he will be guesting in the coming season too. As per Deadline, the show’s executive producers, Jan Nash, Matt Bosack and Christopher Silber said in a statement:

“All of us at NCIS: Hawai’i have been huge fans of LL Cool J for years and couldn’t be more thrilled or honored to be adding his spectacular talent to our ohana for season three.”

In addition, Lachey said of the actor’s addition to her on screen team:

“One of the most beautiful things about working on NCIS: Hawai’i is the show’s ability to bring the franchise together. We have had so much fun spreading the aloha to NCIS andNCIS: LA with the triple crossover. Now, we have the amazing opportunity to bring Sam Hanna to Hawai’i to help the island solve some cases and maybe have a few laughs in the process. Welcome to the ohana, Todd! It’s going to be a fun ride!”

Related: NCIS and NCIS: Hawai’i Both Score Season Renewals

LL Cool J Seemed To Be Cool With NCIS: Los Angeles Coming To An End

When it was announced last month that season 14 of NCIS: Los Angeles would be the last, one person who seemed to be ok with the news was LL Cool J, who actually teased this latest turn of events in a post at the time. He wrong on his Twitter account:

“After 14 seasons, it’s the perfect time to end NCIS: LA on top! I look forward to continuing my partnership with CBS TV Studios. They invested in our series B round and became a strategic partner with Rock The Bells — more exciting things ahead.”

This came after NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: Hawai’i delivered a special crossover event that brought the cast of both shows together and also provided the the lead in for LL Cool J’s permanent movie to the Hawaii-based branch of the franchise. With NCIS: Hawai’i having secured its renewal at the same time as the flagship series, fans can now look forward to seeing more of Sam Hanna when the series returns for its third season on CBS.