Noah Mills Reacts To LL Cool J's NCIS: Hawaii Return
Following a 14-season tour of duty with "NCIS: Los Angeles," Office of Special Projects Senior NCIS Field Agent Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) will be taking his next-level Navy crime-fighting skills to "NCIS: Hawai'i" in a recurring role for Season 3. The ex-Navy Seal has made appearances on other shows within the NCIS universe, but with his spin-off canceled, he'll have plenty of time to devote to the Pearl Harbor office's efforts to stop Naval injustice. Noah Mills, who plays Jesse Boone, has made it clear how he feels about sharing the spotlight with one of the franchise's key figures.
After the SAG-AFTRA strike ended, Mills discussed the upcoming season and was asked what he thought about LL Cool J being brought in. "Are you kidding me? I'm so excited," the actor said to Entertainment Tonight. "I got to work with him on the NCIS crossover 'The Mothership.' He's so cool and just has such a strong presence and is an experienced actor. I mean, he was telling me stories, that guy was going to Studio 54, when he was 16 in New York. He's done it all." Mills added, "And you know, he's just like one of those people who's really interested in me and what we're like over in Hawai'i. We got a heavyweight coming. So it's gonna be great."
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, many have made it known that Sam Hanna's status as a recurring player for Season 3 is a highly anticipated affair fans won't want to miss. While it's pretty safe to assume he would prefer people don't call it a comeback, even LL Cool J couldn't contain his excitement, writing in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Couldn't keep Sam Hanna off the case for too long!!"
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.