LL Cool J
Known for: Acting
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
Series
NCIS
Sam Hanna
2003
Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self
2014
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self - Guest
2014
Series
House
Clarence
2004
Series
The Daily Show
Self
1996
Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self - Guest
2014
Series
Hawaii Five-0
Sam Hanna
2010
Series
American Dad!
Sam Hanna (voice)
2005
Series
Late Show with David Letterman
Self - Guest
1993
Series
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
Series
Saturday Night Live
Self - Musical Guest
1975
Series
NCIS: Los Angeles
Sam Hanna
2009
Series
Conan
Self - Guest``````
2010
Series
Conan
Self - Guest
2010
Series
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022
Series
The View
Self
1997
Series
Project Runway
Self - Guest Judge
2004
Series
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self
2015
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self
2003
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
Series
Hot Ones
Self
2015
Series
30 Rock
Ridikolus
2006
Series
Oz
Jiggy Walker
1997
Series
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Self
1999
Series
American Idol
Self - Guest Judge
2002
Series
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest
1988
Series
The Talk
Self
2010
Series
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
1993
Series
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Series
MTV Video Music Awards
Self - Host
1984
Series
MTV Video Music Awards
Self
1984
Series
Desus & Mero
Self - Illustrious Guest
2019
Series
The Tyra Banks Show
Self
2005
Series
Steve
Self
2017
Series
So You Think You Can Dance
2005
Series
People's Choice Awards
Self - Presenter
1975
Series
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
Sam Hanna
2021
Series
Lip Sync Battle
Host
2015
Series
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self
2015
Film
Charlie's Angels
Mr. Jones
2000
The Tony Danza Show
Self
2004
Series
Finding Your Roots
Self
2012
Film
Deep Blue Sea
Preacher
1999
Series
Today
Self
1952
Series
Kids' Choice Awards
Self - Co-Host
1987
Series
MTV Europe Music Awards
Self - Presenter
1994
Series
MTV Unplugged
Self
1989
Series
The Word
1990
Series
The $100,000 Pyramid
Self
2016
Series
In the House
Marion Hill
1995
Series
Rachael Ray
2006
Series
The Chris Rock Show
Self
1997
Series
The Adventures of Pete & Pete
Mr. Throneberry
1993
Film
S.W.A.T.
Deacon 'Deke' Kaye
2003
Film
Last Holiday
Sean Matthews
2006
Series
The Frank Skinner Show
Self
1995
Film
Any Given Sunday
Julian Washington
1999
Film
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Ronny
1998
Series
Entertainment Tonight
Self
1981
Series
Yo! MTV Raps
Self
1988
Film
Grudge Match
Frankie Brite
2013
Series
106 & Park
2000
Series
WWII in HD
Shelby Westbrook (voice)
2009
Film
Mindhunters
Gabe Jensen
2004
Series
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
Self
2016
Series
Last Call with Carson Daly
Self
2002
Film
The Hard Way
Billy
1991
Film
Edison
Deed
2005
Series
They Call Me Magic
Self
2022
Film
Toys
Patrick Zevo
1992
Series
Payback
Self - Funeral Attendee (archive footage)
2022
Series
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self
1996
Series
Shut Up and Dribble
Self - Musician
2018
Film
In Too Deep
Dwayne Gittens / God
1999
Film
Rollerball
Marcus Ridley
2002
Clive Anderson All Talk
Self
1996
Series
The Early Show
Self
1999
Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards
2003
Film
Wildcats
Rapper
1986
Film
One World: Together at Home
Self
2020
Film
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Self (archive footage)
2025
Film
Slow Burn
Luther Pinks
2005
Film
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
Self
2007
Film
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
2025
Film
The Deal
Bobby Mason
2008
Film
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
Self
2009
Film
B.A.P.S
LL Cool J
1997
Series
Hip Hop Was Born Here
Self - Host
2025
Film
Kingdom Come
Ray Bud Slocumb
2001
Series
James Brown: Say It Loud
Self
2024
Film
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)
2021
Greatest Hits
2016
Series
Superfan
Self
2023
Series
Supreme Team
Self
2022
Series
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World
Self
2023
NCIS: New York
Sam Hanna
2026
Film
Deliver Us from Eva
Ray Adams
2003
Film
You're Watching Video Music Box
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
Self
2012
Film
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
2022
Series
MADtv
Self - Host
1995
Series
MADtv
Self
1995
Film
Stans
Self
2025
Film
Krush Groove
LL Cool J
1985
Film
Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars
Self
2012
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
2018
Series
Fat Joe Talks
Self - Guest
2024
Film
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
Self - Host
2014
Film
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
Self
2015
Film
Touch
LL Cool J
1997
Series
Hip Hop Treasures
Self
2023
Mayweather
Narrator
2013
Film
Caught Up
Roger
1998
Film
Quincy Jones, Music Man
Self (archive footage)
2025
Film
Out-of-Sync
Jason St. Julian
1995
Film
It's Black Entertainment
Self (archive footage)
2002
Film
Beef
Self (archive footage)
2003
Film
NCISverse: The First 1,000
Self
2024
Film
The Right to Remain Silent
Charles Red Taylor
1996
Film
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
Self
2020
Film
Woo
Darryl
1998
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
Self - Musician and Actor
2019
Film
LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop
Self
Film
Comin' Up Short
Self
2024
Film
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Self
2018
Film
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
Self
2023
Film
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
Self
2024
Film
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
Self
2015
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
Self (archive footage)
2009
Film
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
2023
Film
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
Self
2012
Series
The Grammys
Self
1959
The Man
Manny Baxter
2007
Film
A Hip Hop Minute
Self
2024
Film
The Show
Self
1995
Film
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
1999
Film
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
2002
Series
Teen Choice Awards
Self
1999
Series
Teen Choice Awards
Self - Presenter
1999
Film
Simply Mad About the Mouse
Self
1991
Diana Ross: Red Hot Rhythm and Blues
Self
1987
Film
Big Fun in the Big Town
Self
1986
Film
Future Of The Funk
Self
1991
Film
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
Self - Host
2018