LL Cool J finds a new place to ply his ‘NCIS’ skills

Same old, same old? Hardly, says LL Cool J.

Because there’s a team already in place when his Sam Hanna arrives, there’s a shift. “That chemistry can go left to right and it makes the energy a lot more fun.”

Then, too, New York offers a different vibe. “It’s definitely grittier,” LL Cool J says. “You’re very close to the street when you film in New York. It’s not like L.A. L.A. is a little more used to filming and seeing people film. In New York, we’re right next to the guy next door. So, it’s a whole different energy.”

Scott Caan, as special agent Nick Schaeffer, jumps in as his partner. Even though he appeared with LL in a “Hawaii Five-O” crossover with “NCIS: Los Angeles,” the character isn’t the same. “The fact that Nick has a twin brother in Hawaii is not lost on me,” LL says with a laugh. “We’re on the same page creatively. It’s a lot of fun.”

“Todd (LL’s nickname) is the main reason why it took me one second to decide whether I wanted to get involved,” Caan says. “I’ve always been a fan of his as an artist and as a human being, so when you’re doing a show like this, those are the routes that will translate into the show.” The crossover episode of their previous shows “was so long ago I couldn’t even tell you what we did in that episode.”

The new venture is like “colors on an easel,” LL Cool J says. “Me plus Scotty is going to give you a different energy than Scott plus Alex or me plus Chris. When you see it, you’ll feel what it is. We don’t want to do the stereotypical thing. We are maintaining a lot of the energy from the original ‘NCIS,’ but we are adding new layers to it.”

Showrunners give the actors latitude if they collaborate and want to make a script their own, he adds. “A lot of acting to some people is an interpretive art form. It’s creative but it’s a matter of taking the words on the page, bringing them to life and doing our interpretation of what those words mean in the story and to all the people around us. I just try to bring it to life.”

Rapping, like appearing in a string of “NCIS” series, is a natural, LL Cool J says. “You could keep doing what you love for a long time if you treat it with respect and you don’t take it for granted and you don’t get arrogant.”

Acting gives him the opportunity to examine other lives and other influences. Since Sam Hanna was born in New York, there’s a chance to dig into the past.

“He’s a man in search of redemption,” LL Cool J says. “He does visit his past. He doesn’t have a lot of it left here,” but there are plenty of reminders throughout the boroughs of New York.

Visits from other characters in his “NCIS” past are possible, too.

“So much of the DNA of this show is family and we’re all in the same universe,” says Executive Producer Byron Balasco. “You can absolutely expect to see some familiar faces coming over to hang out with us for a while.”