Are NCIS: Los Angeles Stars Chris O'Donnell And LL Cool J Friends In Real Life?
As Chris O'Donnell will tell you, "There's a little bit of a bromance" between his character, Special Agent G. Callen, and his partner in the Office of Special Projects, Special Agent Sam Hanna (LL Cool J), on "NCIS: Los Angeles" (via Entertainment Tonight Canada). The two often act like a married couple, effortlessly reading each other's glances. They even celebrate their fifth anniversary as NCIS partners in a Season 3 episode.
Despite their close friendship, Callen and Hanna come from radically different backgrounds in the "NCIS" spinoff. Callen — nicknamed "G" because he never knew his real name growing up — lived in dozens of foster homes and has a tortured past, including years of service in the CIA. Very little was known about Callen's family until the end of Season 1, which many have deemed one of Callen's best moments. Hanna, meanwhile, is now a family man after playing wide receiver in football and later serving in the Navy. However, both men are united in their loyalty to each other, the NCIS, and a love of jokes and pranks.
With such easy chemistry between the two characters on "NCIS: Los Angeles," fans might wonder if O'Donnell and LL Cool J are friends offscreen too.
Chris O' Donnell and LL Cool J have a similar friendship in real life
Fans of "NCIS: Los Angeles" will be happy to know that the relationship between Chris O'Donnell and James Todd Smith, aka LL Cool J, shares a similar camaraderie to Callen and Hanna. O'Donnell told Entertainment Tonight Canada their friendship is "similar to the relationship that Todd and I — LL and I — have in real life." The actor noted how he not only respects his co-star but "we also love to torture each other and drive each other crazy." A photograph is shown in the video interview of LL Cool J holding O'Donnell in a headlock!
Similarly, LL Cool J told CBS Watch Magazine how he and O'Donnell compare and contrast. "Like me, he has a family. He's stable, he's settled, he's calm. But we come from different places — me from urban New York, and him from a more Midwestern [background]. So we really complement each other in a lot of ways."
And now, the two friends and co-stars are co-creators of a new reality show, "Come Dance With Me," which premiered in April on CBS (via Variety). O'Donnell said working together so long has helped them collaborate, telling Variety, "There's a shorthand that has evolved over 13 years and a trust, which goes a long way."