LL Cool J
Known for Acting · 138 credits
- Born
- 1968-01-14 (age 58)
- Place of birth
- Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA
- Also known as
- L.L. Cool J · James Todd Smith · Ladies Love Cool James
Biography
James Todd Smith (better known as LL Cool J, an acronym for Ladies Love Cool James; born January 14, 1968) 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.
Known For
TV Shows (74)
Late Show with David Letterman
1993
as Self - Guest
The Daily Show
1996
as Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014
as Self - Guest
NCIS
2003
as Sam Hanna
House
2004
as Clarence
Conan
2010
as Self - Guest``````
American Dad!
2005
as Sam Hanna (voice)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self / Self - Guest
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988
as Self - Guest
The Late Late Show with James Corden
2015
as Self
Hawaii Five-0
2010
as Sam Hanna
The View
1997
as Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self / Self - Guest
Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Musical Guest
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022
NCIS: Los Angeles
2009
as Sam Hanna
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
as Self - Guest
American Idol
2002
as Self - Guest Judge
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003
as Self
Project Runway
2004
as Self - Guest Judge
Today
1952
as Self
Hot Ones
2015
as Self
The Tyra Banks Show
2005
as Self
Oz
1997
as Jiggy Walker
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
1999
as Self
30 Rock
2006
as Ridikolus
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
2015
as Self
So You Think You Can Dance
2005
Steve
2017
as Self
Rachael Ray
2006
The Talk
2010
as Self
Desus & Mero
2019
as Self - Illustrious Guest
People's Choice Awards
1975
as Self - Presenter
MTV Video Music Awards
1984
as Self - Host
Finding Your Roots
2012
as Self
Last Call with Carson Daly
2002
as Self
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
2021
as Sam Hanna
The Tony Danza Show
2004
as Self
Lip Sync Battle
2015
as Host
MTV Europe Music Awards
1994
as Self - Presenter
MTV Unplugged
1989
as Self
The Early Show
1999
as Self
The Frank Skinner Show
1995
as Self
Entertainment Tonight
1981
as Self
The $100,000 Pyramid
2016
as Self
106 & Park
2000
Payback
2022
as Self - Funeral Attendee (archive footage)
The Chris Rock Show
1997
as Self
The Adventures of Pete & Pete
1993
as Mr. Throneberry
The Word
1990
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
1996
as Self
Yo! MTV Raps
1988
as Self
In the House
1995
as Marion Hill
Kids' Choice Awards
1987
as Self - Co-Host
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
2016
as Self
WWII in HD
2009
as Shelby Westbrook (voice)
They Call Me Magic
2022
as Self
Shut Up and Dribble
2018
as Self - Musician
Movies (64)
Charlie's Angels
2000
as Mr. Jones
Deep Blue Sea
1999
as Preacher
Mindhunters
2004
as Gabe Jensen
S.W.A.T.
2003
as Deacon 'Deke' Kaye
Any Given Sunday
1999
as Julian Washington
Last Holiday
2006
as Sean Matthews
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
1998
as Ronny
The Hard Way
1991
as Billy
Toys
1992
as Patrick Zevo
Grudge Match
2013
as Frankie Brite
Edison
2005
as Deed
MVP: Most Valuable Performer
2018
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
2025
as Self (archive footage)
In Too Deep
1999
as Dwayne Gittens / God
One World: Together at Home
2020
as Self
Wildcats
1986
as Rapper
B.A.P.S
1997
as LL Cool J
Rollerball
2002
as Marcus Ridley
LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop
as Self
Deliver Us from Eva
2003
as Ray Adams
Stans
2025
as Self
Kingdom Come
2001
as Ray Bud Slocumb
The Deal
2008
as Bobby Mason
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2022
as Self
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
2025
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
2007
as Self
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
2009
as Self
NCISverse: The First 1,000
2024
as Self
The Right to Remain Silent
1996
as Charles Red Taylor
Mayweather
2013
as Narrator
Slow Burn
2005
as Luther Pinks
You're Watching Video Music Box
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars
2012
as Self
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
2020
as Self
Woo
1998
as Darryl
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
2021
as Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)
The Show
1995
as Self
Comin' Up Short
2024
as Self
Touch
1997
as LL Cool J
Beef
2003
as Self (archive footage)
It's Black Entertainment
2002
as Self (archive footage)
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles
2014
as Self - Host
Caught Up
1998
as Roger
Krush Groove
1985
as LL Cool J
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
2012
as Self
Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular
2024
as Self
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
2019
as Self - Musician and Actor
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
2023
as Self
Out-of-Sync
1995
as Jason St. Julian
Quincy Jones, Music Man
2025
as Self (archive footage)
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute
2015
as Self
A Hip Hop Minute
2024
as Self
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
2015
as Self
Big Fun in the Big Town
1986
as Self
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
2012
as Self
The Man
2007
as Manny Baxter
Simply Mad About the Mouse
1991
as Self
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
2018
as Self
DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd
2009
as Self (archive footage)
2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2023
as Self
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap
1999
Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1
2002
Future Of The Funk
1991
as Self
A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary
2018
as Self - Host
About LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (better known as LL Cool J, an acronym for Ladies Love Cool James; born January 14, 1968) 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 Pa… With 138 credits spanning from 1952 to 2026, LL Cool J has appeared in 64 films and 74 TV shows.
Fans searching for LL Cool J movies, LL Cool J filmography, or the latest projects starring LL Cool J can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular LL Cool J Movies
- Charlie's Angels (2000) — as Mr. Jones
- Deep Blue Sea (1999) — as Preacher
- Mindhunters (2004) — as Gabe Jensen
- S.W.A.T. (2003) — as Deacon 'Deke' Kaye
- Any Given Sunday (1999) — as Julian Washington
Where to Watch LL Cool J Films
Most LL Cool J movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring LL Cool J, check our movies catalogue and browse page.