Acting
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (better known as LL Cool J, an acronym for Ladies Love Cool James; born January 14, 1968) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC. Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, his breakthrough came with his single "I Need a Beat" and his landmark debut album, Radio (1985). He achieved further commercial and critical success with the albums Bigger and Deffer (1987), Walking with a Panther (1989), Mama Said Knock You Out (1990), Mr. Smith (1995), and Phenomenon (1997). His twelfth album, Exit 13 (2008), was his last in his long-tenured deal with Def Jam. A two-time Grammy Award winner, LL Cool J is known for hip hop songs such as "Going Back to Cali", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", "Rock the Bells", and "Mama Said Knock You Out", as well as R&B hits such as "Doin' It", "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover". In 2010, VH1 placed him on their "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time" list. In 2017, LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with an award for Musical Excellence. While he 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 (1995-2000). He has appeared in numerous films, including Last Holiday, Edison, Mindhunters, S.W.A.T., Deliver Us from Eva, Rollerball, Charlie's Angels, In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, Deep Blue Sea, Halloween H20, B.A.P.S., Toys, and The Hard Way. In 2005, he returned to television in a guest starring role on the FOX medical drama House. He also guest starred on 30 Rock in 2007, and on Sesame Street 's 39th season where he introduced the word of the day, "Unanimous” and performed "The Addition Expedition" in episode 4172 (Sept. 30, 2008). As of 2011, he stars as Special Agent Sam Hanna on CBS's police procedural NCIS: L.A., a spin-off of NCIS. He was also the host of MTV's Lip Sync Battle.
Filmography
NCIS: New York
Series · 2026
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Film · 2025
Stans
Film · 2025
Quincy Jones, Music Man
Film · 2025
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Film · 2025
Hip Hop Was Born Here
Series · 2025
Comin' Up Short
Film · 2024
NCISverse: The First 1,000
Film · 2024
A Hip Hop Minute
Film · 2024
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
Film · 2024
James Brown: Say It Loud
Series · 2024
Fat Joe Talks
Series · 2024
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Film · 2023
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
Film · 2023
Hip Hop Treasures
Series · 2023
Superfan
Series · 2023
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World
Series · 2023
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Film · 2022
They Call Me Magic
Series · 2022
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Series · 2022
Supreme Team
Series · 2022
Payback
Series · 2022
You're Watching Video Music Box
Film · 2021
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Film · 2021
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
Series · 2021
One World: Together at Home
Film · 2020
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
Film · 2020
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
Film · 2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Series · 2019
Desus & Mero
Series · 2019
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
Film · 2018
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
Film · 2018
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Film · 2018
Shut Up and Dribble
Series · 2018
Steve
Series · 2017
Greatest Hits
Series · 2016
The $100,000 Pyramid
Series · 2016
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
Series · 2016
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
Film · 2015
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
Film · 2015
Lip Sync Battle
Series · 2015
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Series · 2015
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Series · 2015
Hot Ones
Series · 2015
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
Film · 2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Series · 2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Series · 2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Series · 2014
Grudge Match
Film · 2013
Mayweather
Film · 2013
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
Film · 2012
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
Film · 2012
Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars
Film · 2012
Finding Your Roots
Series · 2012
Hawaii Five-0
Series · 2010
Conan
Series · 2010
Conan
Series · 2010
The Talk
Series · 2010
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
Film · 2009
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
Film · 2009
NCIS: Los Angeles
Series · 2009
WWII in HD
Series · 2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Series · 2009
The Deal
Film · 2008
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
Film · 2007
The Man
Film · 2007
Last Holiday
Film · 2006
30 Rock
Series · 2006
Rachael Ray
Series · 2006
Edison
Film · 2005
Slow Burn
Film · 2005
The Tyra Banks Show
Series · 2005
So You Think You Can Dance
Series · 2005
American Dad!
Series · 2005
Mindhunters
Film · 2004
House
Series · 2004
The Tony Danza Show
Series · 2004
Project Runway
Series · 2004
S.W.A.T.
Film · 2003
Deliver Us from Eva
Film · 2003
Beef
Film · 2003
Jennifer Lopez: The Reel Me
Film · 2003
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Series · 2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Series · 2003
NCIS
Series · 2003
Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards
Series · 2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Series · 2003
Rollerball
Film · 2002
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
Film · 2002
It's Black Entertainment
Film · 2002
American Idol
Series · 2002
Last Call with Carson Daly
Series · 2002
Kingdom Come
Film · 2001
Charlie's Angels
Film · 2000
106 & Park
Series · 2000
In Too Deep
Film · 1999
Any Given Sunday
Film · 1999
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
Film · 1999
Deep Blue Sea
Film · 1999
The Early Show
Series · 1999
Teen Choice Awards
Series · 1999
Teen Choice Awards
Series · 1999
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Series · 1999
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Film · 1998
Caught Up
Film · 1998
Woo
Film · 1998
Unmasking the Horror
Film · 1998
Touch
Film · 1997
B.A.P.S
Film · 1997
The View
Series · 1997
Oz
Series · 1997
The Chris Rock Show
Series · 1997
The Right to Remain Silent
Film · 1996
Clive Anderson All Talk
Series · 1996
The Daily Show
Series · 1996
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Series · 1996
The Show
Film · 1995
Out-of-Sync
Film · 1995
In the House
Series · 1995
MADtv
Series · 1995
The Frank Skinner Show
Series · 1995
MADtv
Series · 1995
MTV Europe Music Awards
Series · 1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Series · 1993
The Adventures of Pete & Pete
Series · 1993
Late Show with David Letterman
Series · 1993
Toys
Film · 1992
Simply Mad About the Mouse
Film · 1991
The Hard Way
Film · 1991
Future Of The Funk
Film · 1991
The Word
Series · 1990
MTV Unplugged
Series · 1989
Yo! MTV Raps
Series · 1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Series · 1988
Diana Ross: Red Hot Rhythm and Blues
Film · 1987
Kids' Choice Awards
Series · 1987
Big Fun in the Big Town
Film · 1986
Wildcats
Film · 1986
Krush Groove
Film · 1985
MTV Video Music Awards
Series · 1984
MTV Video Music Awards
Series · 1984
Entertainment Tonight
Series · 1981
Saturday Night Live
Series · 1975
People's Choice Awards
Series · 1975
The Grammys
Series · 1959
Today
Series · 1952
The Emmy Awards
Series · 1949
LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop
Film
The Joe Rogan Experience
Series