Chris O'Donnell talks "NCIS: Los Angeles"
"NCIS: Los Angeles" is heading into the last few episodes of season 6, and according to series star Chris O'Donnell, viewers can expect to learn even more about his character's past -- and his current dating status.
"There's going to be a new love interest in [Special Agent 'G'] Callen's life -- someone he's connected to -- a person he's known for a long time. And we're going to be delving into his back story a little bit. He still has this ongoing search for his family history and his name of all things. There's some interesting episodes we have coming up. I'm excited for it," O'Donnell told CBS News ahead of the show's May 18 season finale.
The finale episode will find Callen (Chris O'Donnell), Sam (LL Cool J), Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) and Kensi (Daniela Ruah) in Moscow, where the team must assume multiple undercover identities to locate their suspects. Also, Callen uncovers new information regarding his father.
O'Donnell, who has starred alongside LL Cool J on the hit CBS series since its launch in 2009, says he thinks he knows why -- at least partially -- the show resonates with viewers.
"I think all of the 'NCIS' shows, but certainly ours, there's a blend of the action and the comedic element to it. But ultimately the audience is going to stay with your show if they fall in love with the characters. [Executive producer] Shane Brennan has done a terrific job of creating characters that the audience connected with," said O'Donnell.
Through the years, O'Donnell has graced both the small and big screen, having starred shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and films including "Scent of a Woman."
This year marks two decades since he donned the Robin suit in "Batman Forever," the 1995 blockbuster co-starring Val Kilmer and Tommy Lee Jones. And it's been 18 years since O'Donnell appeared in "Batman & Robin," alongside George Clooney and Uma Thurman.
"It's amazing," he said about how much time has passed since those Batman films premiered. "It was so much fun making a big film like that. It was almost hard to take it in how big of a spectacle it was at the time...They're great memories. I worked with some great people. And it's always fun to be at an awards show and run into some of your past cast members and that sort of thing."
He added, "Life feels so different and feels so far away from where I am now. Not because of the films necessarily but because of how so much my life has changed. I'm married, and I have five children. That is in itself so life-changing. It's crazy."
About a year ago, O'Donnell told Conan O'Brien that his Robin costume is somewhere in his basement. O'Donnell says it's still there, adding, "There's so much stuff jammed in front of it, I don't even know if I can get to it."
His kids, for one, have seen both Batman movies. But O'Donnell says they haven't seen, or even heard of, most of his films.
"Sometimes we'll be flipping through the channels and I'll see a film that I'm in and I'll just kind of leave it on and they're like, 'Dad what is this? What are we watching? Oh, wait, who is that? Is that you?' And then you have to explain what the movie is," he said. "Because 90 percent of the films I've done they've never even seen."
Spending time with family is a priority for O'Donnell, but he admits his schedule gets challenging sometimes.
"Between the schedule I keep on 'NCIS: Los Angeles' and having five kids I'm really at the rush hour of life," he said. "And when I come home at the end of the day I may have a half hour before my kids go to bed. So, are you going to spend that with your kids? Or are you going to go to the basement and get on the treadmill for a little while? Part of being a parent you realize you got to take care of yourself -- not only to keep yourself around for a long time, but to also set a good example."
O'Donnell is trying to do just that, recently partnering with John Hancock to help recognize and promote physical, emotional and financial wellness -- even with a busy schedule. He teamed up with John Hancock to coincide with the company's mission to redefine life insurance with a new solution tied to wellness.
"It's a matter of making healthy choices," said O'Donnell, who received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last month.
Now that the season is quieting down with "NCIS: Los Angeles," O'Donnell says he's looking forward to spending more time with his family. They have an eight-week vacation coming up.
"I play a lot of golf, a lot of beach volleyball. We spend the summer in Maine. We have a house in Maine. So I'll be in the water quite a bit -- and outdoors all summer," he said.
After that, it's back for another season of "NCIS: Los Angeles." He hopes there's more to come -- for a while, at least.
"We're finishing our sixth year right now. Knock on wood, we have a terrific cast and crew. We want to keep this going for a while," he said. "We all enjoy it."
Check out the video above for more from O'Donnell on "NCIS: Los Angeles," which airs Monday nights at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.
