Sam Hanna (LL Cool J), an Office of Special Projects Senior NCIS Field Agent, will be returning to “NCIS: Hawai’i” in a recurring role for Season 3 after serving on “NCIS: Los Angeles” for 14 seasons. Hanna is known for his elite Navy crime-fighting abilities. The former Navy Seal has appeared in other NCIS series, but now that his spin-off has been canceled, he will have more time to dedicate to the Pearl Harbor office’s mission to end Naval injustice. The actor who plays Jesse Boone, Noah Mills, has expressed his feelings about sharing the limelight with a significant character in the movie.
Following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, Mills was questioned about the forthcoming season and his thoughts on the addition of LL Cool J. Are you joking with me? The star told Entertainment Tonight, “I’m so excited.” “The Mothership, an NCIS crossover, was where I got to collaborate with him.” He’s an accomplished actor who exudes coolness and a powerful presence. He began telling me stories about how, when he was sixteen, he used to go to Studio 54 in New York. He completed everything. And he’s just one of those folks who’s genuinely interested in me and what we’re like over in Hawaii, Mills continued. A heavyweight is on the way. Thus, it will be fantastic.
It seems pretty evident that Mills is thrilled to have LL Cool J on board. When it comes to how others from the series feel about Hanna joining the ranks of the tropical-based offshoot, he isn’t alone.
Mills isn’t the only one hyped about more Hanna in Hawai’i
Like Noah Mills, a lot of people have said that fans won’t want to miss Sam Hanna’s announcement that she would be a recurrent player in Season 3. Even LL Cool J couldn’t contain his excitement, stating in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Couldn’t keep Sam Hanna off the case for too long!!” even though it’s safe to presume he would prefer people not refer to it as a comeback.
Several executive producers weren’t shy about showcasing their support for adding the “NCIS: Los Angeles” alum. According to Deadline, Matt Bosack, Jan Nash, and Christopher Silber expressed their enthusiasm for LL Cool J’s involvement in a statement, saying, “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.”
Vanessa Lachey was overjoyed to have Sam Hanna watching her back on the show and being able to hang with LL Cool J, aka Todd Smith, behind the scenes. “This is an amazing opportunity to continue evolving the NCIS franchise,” the actor told TVLine. “And what better way to do that than have Sam Hanna join the team.” She added, “From the moment we started filming the triple crossover, to hearing the news of Todd joining our team, it’s been laughs, love, and excitement all around.”
There is no denying plenty of people from the show are fired up about Hanna in Hawai’i, which is very different compared to how fans reacted to the news.Sam Hanna’s Hawai’i return has fans conflicted
There are varying opinions from fans regarding the addition of Sam Hanna to Season 3, even if it is just in a recurring role. When the “NCIS: Hawai’i” account on X, formerly Twitter, welcomed LL Cool J in a post, many people took it as an opportunity to share their thoughts. User @JackHime1 was all for it, posting, “I’m so excited for next season now Sam is coming to ‘NCIS Hawai’i,’” and @MichiganMariee wrote, “Glad to hear!!! This show could use another strong character.” But users like @shelray48 were completely against the idea, saying, “Nah, not necessary, not needed. I like the team as it is. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Meanwhile, @nappychik would prefer the actor return to the Office of Special Projects, writing, “I don’t want this. Please bring ‘NCIS: LA’ back. This other show is not good.”
On the other hand, some feel a few doses of Hanna could be just what the series is missing, like @jt_leonard, who posted, “I hope he can teach them how to have some personality. ‘NCIS Hawai’i’ is so dull.” However, others believe not even LL Cool J makes the show worth checking out, like @SadieRoseMarie, who wrote, “He’s great, but I just don’t care for this particular version.” User @MDonofrio1111 threw shade at the whole thing, saying, “Even bringing on LL Cool J won’t get me to watch it. Probably their desperate attempt to get the ratings up.” There have been mixed reactions surrounding the casting announcement, so it will be interesting to see how people respond to LL Cool J when he returns to “NCIS: Hawai’i” for Season 3.