LL Cool J Credits Bruce Lee For Doing Up To 90% Of His Own Stunts

LL Cool J credited Bruce Lee with inspiring his hands-on approach to action scenes, saying he still performed most of his own stunts as Sam Hanna.

Speaking at a New York Comic Con panel for “NCIS: New York,” the 58-year-old rapper put his share at 80 to 90 percent, People reported.

“I do 80 or 90 percent of my stunts,” he said.

LL praised Lee’s drive to make screen action convincing. He also credited stunt performer Brennan Dyson, joking that some especially punishing hits called for a double.

The same commitment had shaped his work on “NCIS: Los Angeles” years earlier. In a 2011 interview, LL said doing the physical work showed his investment in Sam and gave viewers a more direct experience.

He compared handing those scenes to someone else with sending a look-alike on tour to rap in his place. Back then, he also described how learning to handle, take apart and clean weapons made him more comfortable with the role’s technical demands. He recalled sliding across a car’s trunk during a chase scene as one stunt he particularly enjoyed. At the time, LL also said he liked leaving Sam’s past a mystery.

The new series gave that familiar action hero a different kind of test. As AllHipHop previously reported, Sam’s move east followed 14 seasons on “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

The death of a friend brought Sam back to New York, showrunner Byron Balasco explained. That personal case paired him with Scott Caan’s Nick Schaeffer.

LL said Sam felt out of place after years away. The neighborhoods and people had changed, and coming back forced the character to work out where he belonged. Balasco said the series would explore the people and ties that shaped Sam before viewers met him in Los Angeles. Coming home also meant facing the responsibilities those old connections carried.

The physical side still required upkeep. LL told People before the premiere that he tried to stay consistent in the gym. He also said years of action work helped him remain calm afterward.

Asked how long he would keep playing Sam, he said he would continue while the role worked and viewers enjoyed it. CBS placed “NCIS: New York” on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern.