LL Cool J
Acting • Born 1968-01-14
Biography
James Todd Smith, better known as LL Cool J (acronym for Ladies Love Cool James), 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
136 credits
Edison
Movie • 2005
Deed
Charlie's Angels
Movie • 2000
Mr. Jones
Rollerball
Movie • 2002
Marcus Ridley
In Too Deep
Movie • 1999
Dwayne Gittens / God
Toys
Movie • 1992
Patrick Zevo
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Movie • 1998
Ronald 'Ronny' Jones
S.W.A.T.
Movie • 2003
Deacon 'Deke' Kaye
Deliver Us from Eva
Movie • 2003
Ray Adams
Any Given Sunday
Movie • 1999
Julian Washington
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
Movie • 2015
Self
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
Movie • 2009
Self
Krush Groove
Movie • 1985
LL Cool J
Touch
Movie • 1997
LL Cool J
The Deal
Movie • 2008
Bobby Mason
Mindhunters
Movie • 2004
Gabe Jensen
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
Movie • 2002
Last Holiday
Movie • 2006
Sean Matthews
You're Watching Video Music Box
Movie • 2021
Self (archive footage)
B.A.P.S
Movie • 1997
LL Cool J
Slow Burn
Movie • 2005
Luther Pinks
The Show
Movie • 1995
Self
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
Movie • 2009
Self (archive footage)
Big Fun in the Big Town
Movie • 1986
Self
Simply Mad About the Mouse
Movie • 1991
Self
Out-of-Sync
Movie • 1995
Jason St. Julian
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
Movie • 1999
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Movie • 2023
Self
The Hard Way
Movie • 1991
Billy
Kingdom Come
Movie • 2001
Ray Bud Slocumb
The Right to Remain Silent
Movie • 1996
Charles Red Taylor
Grudge Match
Movie • 2013
Frankie Brite
Caught Up
Movie • 1998
Roger
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
Movie • 2012
Self
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
Movie • 2023
Self
Future Of The Funk
Movie • 1991
Self
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Movie • 2022
Self
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
Movie • 2012
Self
Deep Blue Sea
Movie • 1999
Preacher
Wildcats
Movie • 1986
Rapper
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
Movie • 2015
Self
LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop
Movie
Self
Comin' Up Short
Movie • 2024
Self
NCISverse: The First 1,000
Movie • 2024
Self
Mayweather
Movie • 2013
Narrator
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
Movie • 2007
Self
Woo
Movie • 1998
Darryl
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
Movie • 2018
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
Movie • 2018
Self - Host
Beef
Movie • 2003
Self (archive footage)
It's Black Entertainment
Movie • 2002
Self (archive footage)
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
Movie • 2014
Self - Host
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Movie • 2018
Self
One World: Together at Home
Movie • 2020
Self
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Movie • 2021
Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)
A Hip Hop Minute
Movie • 2024
Self
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
Movie • 2024
Self
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
Movie • 2020
Self
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Movie • 2025
Self (archive footage)
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
Movie • 2019
Self - Musician and Actor
The Man
Movie • 2007
Manny Baxter
Stans
Movie • 2025
Self
Quincy Jones | Music Man
Movie • 2025
Self (archive footage)
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Movie • 2025
Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars
Movie • 2012
Self
In the House
TV • 1995
Marion Hill
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
House
TV • 2004
Clarence
The Tony Danza Show
TV • 2004
Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self
Today
TV • 1952
Self
The Tyra Banks Show
TV • 2005
Self
The View
TV • 1997
Self
106 & Park
TV • 2000
Oz
TV • 1997
Jiggy Walker
So You Think You Can Dance
TV • 2005
American Idol
TV • 2002
Self - Guest Judge
The Early Show
TV • 1999
Self
Finding Your Roots
TV • 2012
Self
30 Rock
TV • 2006
Ridikolus
NCIS
TV • 2003
Sam Hanna
MTV Unplugged
TV • 1989
Self
MADtv
TV • 1995
Self - Host
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV • 1993
Self - Guest
The Frank Skinner Show
TV • 1995
Self
Clive Anderson All Talk
TV • 1996
Self
Shut Up and Dribble
TV • 2018
Self - Musician
NCIS: Los Angeles
TV • 2009
Sam Hanna
Teen Choice Awards
TV • 1999
Self
WWII in HD
TV • 2009
Shelby Westbrook (voice)
Hawaii Five-0
TV • 2010
Sam Hanna
Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards
TV • 2003
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Musical Guest
Lip Sync Battle
TV • 2015
Host
The Daily Show
TV • 1996
Self
Teen Choice Awards
TV • 1999
Self - Presenter
Hip Hop Treasures
TV • 2023
Self
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV • 2015
Self
The Late Late Show with James Corden
TV • 2015
Self
Greatest Hits
TV • 2016
Superfan
TV • 2023
Self
The Chris Rock Show
TV • 1997
Self
Project Runway
TV • 2004
Self - Guest Judge
MTV Video Music Awards
TV • 1984
Self - Host
MTV Video Music Awards
TV • 1984
Self
The $100,000 Pyramid
TV • 2016
Self
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
TV • 2016
Self
They Call Me Magic
TV • 2022
Self
Yo! MTV Raps
TV • 1988
Self
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TV • 2022
Last Call with Carson Daly
TV • 2002
Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV • 2019
Self
MADtv
TV • 1995
Self
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
TV • 1996
Self
Supreme Team
TV • 2022
Self
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
TV • 1999
Self
Rachael Ray
TV • 2006
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest
TV • 1972
Self - Performer (Times Square)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981
Self
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
TV • 2021
Sam Hanna
American Dad!
TV • 2005
Sam Hanna (voice)
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World
TV • 2023
Self
Hot Ones
TV • 2015
Self
Kids' Choice Awards
TV • 1987
Self - Co-Host
James Brown: Say It Loud
TV • 2024
Self
Desus & Mero
TV • 2019
Self - Illustrious Guest
Conan
TV • 2010
Self
Fat Joe Talks
TV • 2024
Self - Guest
MTV Europe Music Awards
TV • 1994
Self - Presenter
The Adventures of Pete & Pete
TV • 1993
Mr. Throneberry
The Grammys
TV • 1959
Self
Hip Hop Was Born Here
TV • 2025
Self - Host
Payback
TV • 2022
Self - Funeral Attendee (archive footage)
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TV • 2014
Self - Guest
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self - Guest
People's Choice Awards
TV • 1975
Self - Presenter