When NCIS: Los Angeles first spun off from its mothership in 2009, nobody knew if it would actually work. Spin-offs are risky. Often, they’re just cheap imitations. But the NCIS Los Angeles season 1 cast brought a vibe that felt fundamentally different—slicker, sunnier, and a whole lot more explosive than the D.C. crew.
Back then, the show was still figuring itself out. It wasn’t the "Deeks and Kensi" show yet. It was a gritty, high-stakes undercover procedural led by a movie star and a rap icon. Honestly, looking back at that first year feels like looking at an old high school yearbook. Some people stayed until the very end, while others... well, they didn’t even make it past the first few months.
The Big Two: G. Callen and Sam Hanna
You can't talk about the first season without the bromance that anchored the entire 14-year run. Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J were the massive "gets" for CBS. O’Donnell played G. Callen, the "legendary" undercover agent who literally didn’t know what his first name was. He was mysterious, slightly standoffish, and basically lived out of a gym bag.
Then you had LL Cool J as Sam Hanna. A former Navy SEAL. A family man (though we wouldn't see his family for a long time). He was the muscle, the moral compass, and the only person who could call Callen out on his nonsense.
Their chemistry wasn’t manufactured. It was instant. If that partnership hadn't clicked in those first 24 episodes, the show would have been cancelled by Christmas. They brought a physicality to the roles that the original NCIS didn’t really focus on. These guys were running, jumping off buildings, and getting into massive firefights every Tuesday night.
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The Original Team (And the One Who Didn't Last)
The supporting players in season 1 were a bit of a mixed bag compared to the later years.
Daniela Ruah as Kensi Blye
She was the only female field agent at the start. Kensi was a total badass from day one—fluent in Portuguese, a master of lip-reading, and a crack shot. In season 1, she wasn't the goofy, empathetic Kensi we’d see later. She was a bit more of a "lone wolf" type, often partnered with the rookie of the group.
Adam Jamal Craig as Dominic Vail
This is the one that still trips people up. If you're binge-watching now, you might be shocked to see Dom Vail. He was the team's rookie, a "probationary agent" who was supposed to be the audience surrogate. But the writers felt the team lacked stakes.
So, halfway through the season, they did something bold. They had Dom get kidnapped.
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He vanished for several episodes, leaving a massive hole in the cast. When he finally reappeared in the episode "Found," it wasn't a happy ending. Dom was killed in a shootout while trying to escape his captors. It was the first time fans realized that being part of the NCIS Los Angeles season 1 cast didn't come with a "plot armor" guarantee.
The Support Staff: Tech and Psychology
Every procedural needs the "geeks," but NCIS: LA handled them differently.
- Barrett Foa as Eric Beale: In the beginning, Eric was the lone wolf in the tech center. No Nell Jones. No massive team. Just Barrett Foa in shorts and flip-flops, clicking away at a massive glass screen.
- Peter Cambor as Nate Getz: Nate was an operational psychologist. In season 1, he was a main character, appearing in almost every episode. He would sit behind the two-way glass, analyzing suspects' body language. However, as the show became more action-oriented, the need for a full-time psychologist faded. Nate eventually moved to a recurring role, disappearing into the world of deep-cover assignments.
Linda Hunt: The Tiny Powerhouse
You can't mention this cast without talking about Henrietta "Hetty" Lange. Played by the legendary Linda Hunt, Hetty was the "Operations Manager" who somehow knew every world leader and spoke about fifteen languages.
Funnily enough, Hunt was originally only supposed to be a guest star in the pilot. But she was so magnetic—so terrifyingly competent—that they promoted her to a series regular immediately. She became the soul of the show. She was the one who kept the "kids" in line, usually while sipping tea or tailoring a three-piece suit.
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Why the Season 1 Cast Matters Now
What most people get wrong about the first season is thinking it was a "finished product." It wasn't. It was an experiment.
The introduction of Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) at the end of the season changed everything. He was brought in as an LAPD Liaison Officer, and the chemistry between him and Kensi was so nuclear that it redefined the show’s DNA.
If you go back and watch season 1 today, you'll see a show that is much darker than the later seasons. There was a lot of focus on Callen's amnesia and his search for his identity. It felt more like a spy thriller than a family drama.
Key Takeaways from the Season 1 Cast:
- High Turnover: Unlike the D.C. version, the LA office felt more volatile. Losing a series regular (Adam Jamal Craig) in the first year was a huge statement of intent.
- Star Power: O’Donnell and LL Cool J proved that big-name stars could successfully transition to long-form TV procedural work.
- The "Hetty" Factor: Linda Hunt proved that a 4-foot-9 woman could be the most intimidating person in a room full of federal agents.
- The Pivot: The show recognized what was working (the action and the humor) and what wasn't (the psychological profiling), leading to the casting shifts in season 2.
If you’re looking to revisit the series, pay attention to the episode "Legend." It's the two-part back-door pilot that aired during NCIS Season 6. It actually features a different team leader, Lara Macy (played by Louise Lombard), who was scrapped before the first season of the spin-off officially began. It’s a fascinating "what if" in TV history.
To get the most out of the NCIS Los Angeles season 1 cast experience, watch the episodes "Missing" and "Found" back-to-back. It's the moment the show stopped being a standard procedural and started taking real risks with its characters. From there, the road was paved for 300+ more episodes of high-octane TV.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch the NCIS Season 6 episodes "Legend Part 1 & 2" to see the original unaired team dynamic.
- Compare the pilot episode "Identity" with the Season 1 finale "Callen, G" to see how much the characters evolved in just 24 episodes.
- Track the early appearances of Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), who bridged the gap between the two shows before the LA office became fully independent.