LL Cool J & Vanessa Lachey Join Forces In NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 BTS Photo
The "NCIS" franchise underwent some considerable changes over the course of 2023. The latest show to join its ranks is "NCIS: Sydney," the first season of which premiered in November. The new series debuted after the cancellation of "NCIS: Los Angeles," which devastated fans when it was first announced. Meanwhile, around the year's midpoint, "NCIS: Hawai'i" Season 2 wrapped up. Season 3 is scheduled to premiere in February of 2024.
As Season 3 is in the midst of filming, lead actor Vanessa Lachey posted a photo to her Instagram account alongside entertainment industry multi-hyphenate LL Cool J, who played Senior Special Agent Sam Hanna in over 300 episodes of "NCIS: Los Angeles." He also made a cameo in a Season 2 episode of "NCIS: Hawai'i" from January, in addition to the Season 2 finale. While his involvement in the forthcoming "NCIS Hawai'i" season isn't entirely new information, the visual of him on set alongside Lachey is significant nevertheless, as it previews LL Cool J's first "NCIS" appearance since the final episode of "NCIS: Los Angeles."
LL Cool J's Sam Hanna will become a recurring character in NCIS: Hawaii Season 3
In the Instagram picture posted by Vanessa Lachey, she and LL Cool J can both be seen in costume behind the wheel of a car. "Welcome to Paradise, @llcoolj," the actress wrote in the caption. "Jane Tennant & Sam Hanna take it to the streets of Hawai'i!"
Soon after "NCIS: Los Angeles" aired its final episode, outlets like Variety reported that LL Cool J's character Sam Hanna would become an official member of the "Hawai'i" cast in Season 3. "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," executive producers Matt Bosack, Jan Nash, and Christopher Silber said in a joint statement.
After SAG-AFTRA determined that actors could return to work following the union's lengthy strike, Jesse Boone actor Noah Mills spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the upcoming "NCIS: Hawai'i" season's production starting back up. LL Cool J's involvement was something he singled out as a highlight of filming. "I'm like, really, I'm gonna be, you know, sitting out with LL Cool J," he said. "He's just like one of those people who's really interested in me and what we're like over in Hawaii. We got a heavyweight coming. So it's gonna be great." "NCIS: Hawai'i" Season 3 premieres on February 12, 2024.