LL Cool J

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James Todd Smith, known professionally as LL Cool J, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, author, and entrepreneur from Queens, New York. With the breakthrough success of his hit single "I Need a Beat" and the Radio LP, LL Cool J became an early hip-hop act to achieve mainstream success along with Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C.

Birth Name

James Todd Smith

Born

Sunday, 14 January 1968

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Actor Filmography

Title	Character	Year

One World: Together at Home	Self	2020
Untold Stories of Hip Hop	Self (archive footage)	2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show	Self	2019
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America	Self - Musician and Actor	2019
Desus & Mero	Self	2019
Shut Up and Dribble	Himself	2018
GMA3: Strahan, Sara & Keke	Self	2018
Story of Cool	Self - Narrator	2018
The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards	Himself - Presenter	2017
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Party Challenge	Himself	2016

(see additional filmography)

Actor Filmography

Title	Character	Year

One World: Together at Home	Self	2020
Untold Stories of Hip Hop	Self (archive footage)	2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show	Self	2019
Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America	Self - Musician and Actor	2019
Desus & Mero	Self	2019
Shut Up and Dribble	Himself	2018
GMA3: Strahan, Sara & Keke	Self	2018
Story of Cool	Self - Narrator	2018
The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards	Himself - Presenter	2017
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Party Challenge	Himself	2016
Hip-Hop Evolution	Himself	2016
Greatest Hits	Himself	2016
The $100,000 Pyramid	Self - Celebrity Player	2016
The Eighties	Himself (archive footage)	2016
The 17th Annual 'A Home for the Holidays'	Himself	2015
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert	Himself - Presenter	2015
FabLife	Himself	2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert	Self	2015
Close Up with the Hollywood Reporter	Self	2015
Lip Sync Battle	Self - Host, Himself - Host / Self - Host, Himself - Host, Self	2015
The Late Late Show with James Corden	Himself	2015
Sesame Street: The Best of Elmo 3	Himself (archive footage)	2015
Lennon or McCartney	Himself (archive footage)	2014
Sonic Highways	Himself	2014
Hippocrates: Diary Of A French Doctor	Clarence (archive footage)	2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon	Self	2014
Grudge Match	Frankie Brite	2013
The Arsenio Hall Show	Himself - Guest	2013
Mayweather	Narrator	2013
Home & Family	Self (archive footage)	2012
Katie	Himself	2012
Steve Harvey	Himself	2012
The Fight Game with Jim Lampley	Himself	2012
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.	Self	2012
Bizarre Foods America	Himself	2012
CBS This Morning	Himself	1992
Oprah's Next Chapter	Himself	2012
Rove LA	Himself	2011
Big Morning Buzz Live	Himself	2011
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards	Himself - Presenter	2011
Oprah's Master Class	Himself	2011
Conan	Himself - Guest, Himself	2010
SGNL by Sony	Himself	2010
The Talk	Self - Guest, Self, Self - Guest Co-Host	2010
Hawaii Five-0	Sam Hanna	2010
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards	Himself	2010
The 36th Annual People's Choice Awards	Himself	2010
WWII in HD	Shelby Westbrook	2009
NCIS: Los Angeles	Sam Hanna	2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen	Self	2009
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien	Himself	2009
How Bruce Lee Changed The World	Himself	2009
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon	Himself	2009
The Grammy's Style Studio	Himself	2009
The Electric Company	Himself	2009
The Deal	Bobby Mason	2008
Super Bowl XLII	Himself	2008
Beef 4	Himself (archive footage)	2007
Showbusiness: The Road To Broadway	Himself	2007
30 Rock	Ridikolus	2006
Rachael Ray	Self	2006
Last Holiday	Sean Matthews	2006
Slow Burn	Luther Pinks	2005
The Tyra Banks Show	Himself	2005
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List	Himself	2005
Edison	Deed	2005
American Dad!	Sam Hanna (voice)	2005
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson	Himself - Guest, Himself	2005
Project Runway	Self - Guest Judge	2004
House	Clarence	2004
Fashion News Live	Himself	2004
The Insider	Himself	2004
The Tony Danza Show	Himself	2004
Beef II	Himself - Recording Artist (archive footage)	2004
The Graham Norton Effect	Himself	2004
American Casino	Himself - Performer	2004
Mindhunters	Gabe Jensen (as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J)	2004
NCIS	Sam Hanna	2003
The Ellen DeGeneres Show	Himself, Himself - Guest	2003
S.W.A.T.	Deacon 'Deke' Kaye	2003
Beef	Himself (archive footage)	2003
Deliver Us From Eva	Raymond 'Ray' Adams (as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J)	2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!	Himself, Himself - NCIS: Los Angeles	2003
MythBusters	Sherman 'Preacher' Dudley	2003
American Idol	Self - Guest Judge	2002
Fashion Police	Himself - Host	2002
It's Black Entertainment	Himself (archive footage)	2002
Rollerball	Marcus Ridley	2002
Driven	Himself (archive footage)	2002
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross	Himself	2001
VH1 Presents the 80's	(archive footage)	2001
Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott: Hits of Miss E... The Videos, Volume 1	Himself (segment "Get Ur Freak On")	2001
Kingdom Come	Ray Bud Slocumb	2001
Charlie's Angels	Mr. Jones	2000
CBS Cares	Himself	2000
Any Given Sunday	Julian Washington	1999
Rapmania: The Roots of Rap	Himself	1999
In Too Deep	God	1999
Deep Blue Sea	Preacher / Sherman 'Preacher' Dudley	1999
Making the Video	Himself	1999
WWE Smackdown!	Self	1999
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later	Ronny	1998
The Challenge	Self	1998
Woo	Darryl	1998
Caught Up	Roger	1998
Behind the Music	Himself	1997
The View	Self	1997
Oz	Jiggy Walker	1997
BAP*S	LL Cool J	1997
Touch	Himself	1997
The Chris Rock Show	Himself	1997
The Daily Show	Self	1996
E! True Hollywood Story	Himself (archive footage)	1996
The Right to Remain Silent	Charles Red Taylor	1996
MADtv	Himself, Himself - Host	1995
Lauren Hutton and...	Himself	1995
The Frank Skinner Show	Himself	1995
Out-of-Sync	Jason St. Julian	1995
In the House	Marion Hill	1995
Extra with Billy Bush	Self, Self (archive footage), Self - NCIS: Los Angeles	1994
Dennis Miller Live	Himself	1994
All That	Himself - Musical Guest	1994
The Adventures of Pete & Pete	Mr. Throneberry	1992
Dangerous: The Short Films	Himself (archive footage)	1993
Late Night with Conan O'Brien	Himself	1993
Late Show with David Letterman	Himself - Visits the Superbowl, Himself	1993
WWE Raw	Himself	1993
Toys	Captain Patrick Zevo	1992
HBO First Look	Himself	1992
Simply Mad About the Mouse	Himself	1991
The Hard Way	Billy	1991
The Word	Himself	1990
In Living Color	Himself - Musical Guest	1990
MTV Unplugged	Himself	1989
The Arsenio Hall Show	Himself	1989
Inside Edition	Himself	1988
Showtime at the Apollo	Himself - Musical Guest / Host	1987
Big Fun in the Big Town	Himself	1986
Wildcats	Rapper (as L.L. Cool J)	1986
Krush Groove	Himself	1985
Wheel of Fortune	Self - Celebrity Contestant	1983
Entertainment Tonight	Himself, Himself (archive footage), Himself - Guest Co-Host	1981
CBS News Sunday Morning	Himself	1979
Saturday Night Live	Himself - Musical Guest	1975
Soul Train	Himself, Himself - Guest	1971
American Bandstand	Himself	1952

Producer Filmography

Title	Year

Lip Sync Battle Shorties	2016
Lip Sync Battle	2015

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Year	Type	Category	Won

2018	Emmy	Outstanding Structured Reality Program	Nominated
2017	Emmy	Outstanding Structured Reality Program	Nominated
2016	Emmy	Outstanding Structured Reality Program	Nominated