“Talk on the phone like siblings”—When NCIS: Los Angeles stars Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J opened up about their friendship

Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J worked together for 14 years, starring as Special Agents G. Callen and Sam Hanna, respectively, in NCIS: Los Angeles. As the two shared screen space, they also formed a close bond in real life over the years.

After being co-stars and friends for more than a decade, O'Donnell and Cool J also got into a professional partnership as they launched their reality show Come Dance with Me on CBS in 2022.

At the time, the two actors had an interview with the Television Academy, where they talked about how their bond strengthened over the years. Chris O'Donnell said that LL Cool J is like his sibling, with whom he talks every day, no matter whether they are working together or not:

“We see each other every day when we're working, and when we're not working, we text or talk on the phone like siblings. After thirteen years, we have a shorthand.”

NCIS: Los Angeles stars Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J once talked about their friendship

LL Cool J highlighted the similarities between him and Chris O'Donnell and revealed they both like to joke around.

The NCIS: Los Angeles actors then opened up about how close they have become over the years, with O'Donnell revealing that Cool J always makes him laugh:

“He's so funny with his sayings. I was giving him a hard time about something once, and he said, ‘I don't receive that.’ I said, ‘I didn't know that was an option.’ I laugh because he gets a kick out of me and the sayings my family has, too.”

Cool J then disclosed how they both know each other’s personal stuff and said:

“I even know what his father said when he wanted to be polite and had to go to the bathroom. He'd say, ‘I have to go conjure.’ When it comes to talking about success, Chris is always saying, ‘You have to feather the nest.’”

O'Donnell and Cool J met during the table read for NCIS: Los Angeles in 2009. The show marked the first spin-off of the mothership NCIS series and revolved around undercover agents working with the Office of Special Projects. As G. Callen and Sam Hanna, O'Donnell and Cool J starred in the show for 14 seasons until its conclusion in 2023.

During the interview, Cool J said that there was a chemistry between him and O'Donnell from the word go, despite the differences in their backgrounds, as they bonded over their family lives:

“The chemistry felt really good. We come from different backgrounds, but we had a lot in common. Having large families with lots of kids, loving music. We'd both been in the business twenty or thirty years. We connected on a human level.”

O'Donnell then recalled his first encounter with Cool J, revealing he did not know how to address him initially due to his unconventional name:

“I didn't know what to call him at first, so I asked, "Should I call you LL?" He said, "No, call me Todd, cuz." [LL Cool J was born James Todd Smith.] He had on earphones and was listening to ‘Don't Stop Believin’ the whole time. He just has a positive attitude that infuses everything he does.”

The two friends once again showed faith in each other when they collaborated to create Come Dance with Me, a reality show that aired on CBS from April to June 2022. O'Donnell and Cool J continue to be friends now, two years after NCIS: Los Angeles’ conclusion.

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