'NCIS: Hawai'i' Star Tori Anderson 'Absolutely' Hopes LL Cool J Visits for 'NCIS: LA' Crossover (Exclusive)

By Daniel S. Levine

The new seasons of NCIS and NCIS: Hawai'i will kick off with another crossover, once again leaving NCIS: Los Angeles out of the fun. Although there are no solid plans yet for a three-way crossover similar to the ones FBI and NBC's Chicago shows have done, NCIS: Hawai'i star Tori Anderson told PopCulture in an exclusive interview that she'd "absolutely" welcome LL Cool J to Hawaii. Anderson also teased how her character, FBI Special Agent Kate Whistler, fits into the crossover story.

In the NCIS Season 20 premiere, titled "A Family Matter," Special Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) is still on the win with his ex-wife Vivian (Terri Polo). The rest of the team hopes to clear Parker's name, so they bring in Hawai'i team leader Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) and computer expert Ernie Malick (Jason Antoon) to help find their primary suspect. In the Hawai'i Season 2 premiere, "Prisoners' Dilemma," Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) head back to Hawaii.

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(Photo: CBS via Getty Images [Tori Anderson]; Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images [LL Cool J])

Although Kate doesn't travel to Virginia with Jane and Ernie, she is still going to have a part in the crossover. "You're going to see Torres and Knight come to Hawaii and then begin to solve the crime in Hawaii," Anderson teased. "So then you see them interacting with the rest of the team in Hawaii."

When asked if she hopes to see LL Cool J and the rest of the NCIS: Los Angeles team show up in Hawaii, Anderson couldn't say "yes" fast enough. "Absolutely," Anderson said. "I mean, I'm hoping that maybe they come out to Hawaii, but it's not a hard sell when you say, 'Come out to Hawaii for a week.'"

Anderson's Kate makes up one-half of Hawai'i's major romantic relationship. At the end of Season 1, she professed her love for Special Agent Lucy Tara (Yasmine Al-Bustami). Their relationship went through many ups and downs during the season, with even the pilot hinting at their past before the fans came to love them. Anderson said the writers initially planned to have the kiss in the pilot be their first time together, but her performance with Al-Bustami inspired them to change it so their relationship had a past. "It just shows how things change and what works and what doesn't, when they shoot it with a new show," Anderson said.

NCIS and NCIS: Hawai'i fans will get to see the teams work together again when their new seasons begin on CBS on Sept. 19. NCIS airs first at 9 p.m. ET, with NCIS: Hawai'i following at 10 p.m. ET. Both shows are available to stream on Paramount+. NCIS: Hawai'i – Season One will be available on DVD starting Sept. 6, with CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment dropping the six-disc collection. It will feature 45 minutes of bonus content, featurettes, deleted or extended scenes, and a gag reel.

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