Film Snail

LL Cool J

Born · January 14, 1968 (56 years old)

Known For: Acting

Place of Birth: Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA

Bio

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.

Known for

Self - Host

0.0

2018

Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones

Self

6.5

2018

MVP: Most Valuable Performer

1.0

2018

Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert

Self

9.3

2015

Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute

Self

8.0

2015

The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles

Self - Host

7.0

2014

Grudge Match

Frankie Brite

6.1

2013

Mayweather

Narrator

4.5

2013

Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You

Self

7.5

2012

Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’

Self

2.0

2012

We Are the World 25 For Haiti

LL Cool J

5.5

2010

How Bruce Lee Changed the World

Self

8.0

2009

DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd

Self (archive footage)

6.6

2009

The Deal

Bobby Mason

5.5

2008

ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway

Self

7.0

2007

Last Holiday

Sean Matthews

7.2

2006

Slow Burn

Luther Pinks

5.3

2005

Edison

Deed

5.3

2005

House

Clarence · (1 episode)

8.6

2004

The Tony Danza Show

Self · (1 episode)

6.1

2004

Mindhunters

Gabe Jensen

6.5

2004

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

8.0

2002

Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1

2.0

2002

Kingdom Come

Ray Bud Slocumb

6.6

2001

Charlie's Angels

Mr. Jones

5.8

2000

Any Given Sunday

Julian Washington

6.8

1999

Rapmania: The Roots of Rap

0.0

1999

In Too Deep

Dwayne Gittens / God

6.4

1999

Deep Blue Sea

Preacher

6.0

1999

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Ronald 'Ronny' Jones

6.0

1998

Woo

Darryl

4.4

1998

Caught Up

Roger

5.2

1998

B.A.P.S

LL Cool J

5.3

1997

Touch

LL Cool J

5.8

1997

The Right to Remain Silent

Charles Red Taylor

8.0

1996

The Show

Self

6.4

1995

Out-of-Sync

Jason St. Julian

4.0

1995

In the House

Marion Hill · (76 episodes)

7.3

1995

Toys

Captain Patrick Zevo

5.3

1992

Simply Mad About the Mouse

Self

4.0

1991

The Hard Way

Billy

6.1

1991

Future Of The Funk

Self

0.0

1991

Big Fun in the Big Town

Self

5.0

1986

Wildcats

Rapper

6.3

1986

Krush Groove

LL Cool J

6.1

1985

LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop

Self

0.0

Fat Joe Talks

Self - Guest · (1 episode)

0.0

2024

James Brown: Say It Loud

Self · (4 episodes)

8.0

2024

Hip Hop Treasures

(8 episodes)

0.0

2023

Superfan

Self · (1 episode)

0.0

2023

Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World

Self · (4 episodes)

6.7

2023

The Jennifer Hudson Show

(1 episode)

6.4

2022

Supreme Team

Self · (3 episodes)

7.1

2022

They Call Me Magic

Self · (4 episodes)

7.1

2022

NCIS: Hawai'i

Sam Hanna · (12 episodes)

7.9

2021

The Kelly Clarkson Show

(1 episode)

6.2

2019

Desus & Mero

Self - Illustrious Guest · (1 episode)

5.1

2019

Shut Up and Dribble

Self - Musician · (1 episode)

0.0

2018

Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party

Self · (1 episode)

8.5

2016

Greatest Hits

(1 episode)

5.0

2016

The $100,000 Pyramid

Self · (1 episode)

7.3

2016

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

Self · (1 episode)

5.7

2015

Lip Sync Battle

Host · (92 episodes)

6.4

2015

The Late Late Show with James Corden

Self · (1 episode)

5.4

2015

Hot Ones

Self · (1 episode)

7.4

2015

Finding Your Roots

Self · (1 episode)

6.2

2012

Conan

Self · (2 episodes)

7.0

2010

Hawaii Five-0

Sam Hanna · (1 episode)

7.7

2010

WWII in HD

(10 episodes)

7.3

2009

NCIS: Los Angeles

Sam Hanna · (323 episodes)

7.5

2009

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Self - Guest · (1 episode)

5.0

2009

30 Rock

Ridikolus · (1 episode)

7.4

2006

Rachael Ray

(1 episode)

5.1

2006

The Tyra Banks Show

Self · (1 episode)

4.1

2005

So You Think You Can Dance

(1 episode)

7.1

2005

American Dad!

Sam Hanna (voice) · (1 episode)

7.0

2005

Project Runway

Self - Guest Judge · (1 episode)

6.2

2004

Spike TV VGA Video Game Awards

(10 episodes)

10.0

2003

NCIS

Sam Hanna · (3 episodes)

7.6

2003

American Idol

Self - Guest Judge · (1 episode)

5.1

2002

Last Call with Carson Daly

Self · (1 episode)

2.9

2002

106 & Park

(1 episode)

6.0

2000

The Early Show

Self · (2 episodes)

5.7

1999

Teen Choice Awards

Self · (1 episode)

10.0

1999

Teen Choice Awards

Self - Presenter · (1 episode)

10.0

1999

WWE SmackDown

Self · (1 episode)

7.4

1999

The View

Self · (7 episodes)

4.4

1997

Oz

Jiggy Walker · (1 episode)

8.0

1997

The Chris Rock Show

(1 episode)

4.4

1997

Clive Anderson All Talk

Self · (1 episode)

0.0

1996

The Daily Show

Self · (3 episodes)

6.4

1996

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

Self · (1 episode)

3.5

1996

MADtv

8.8

1987

MTV Video Music Awards

Self - Host · (1 episode)

7.5

1984

MTV Video Music Awards

Self · (5 episodes)

7.5

1984

Today

Self · (1 episode)

5.5

1952

The Man

(1 episode)

0.0

Entertainment Tonight

Self · (2 episodes)

3.7

1981

Saturday Night Live

Self - Musical Guest · (1 episode)

6.9

1975

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest

Self - Performer (Times Square) · (4 episodes)

5.3

1972

The Grammy Awards

(1 episode)

7.7

1959