Chris O’Donnell has starred on NCIS: Los Angeles as special agent “G. Callen” for each of the procedural drama’s four seasons. Passionate about getting behind the lens, he recently directed an episode of the show, and ET gauged the cast’s reaction to his directing.

While a little friction between O’Donnell and his co-stars wouldn’t be entirely unexpected in his new role, the cast revealed that he was nothing but a pleasure to work with. If anything, his personal acting experience made it easier both for him and his co-stars in communicating orders.

“I’ve loved it,” said Daniel Ruah (“Kensi Blye”). “The expectation of Chris directing was very exciting, especially because as a cast I think we’re very open about giving each other ideas for scenes. …So, knowing the kind of notes that Chris has given me before not as a director were always great, I was kind of positively expecting him to be great.”

The episode marks the first time that O’Donnell has directed the show, which made for a unique experience for the cast. Renée Felice Smith (“Nell Jones”) credited his effective directing from the onset to his extensive acting experience.

“It’s kind of seamless, his rolling into directing,” she said. “…It just kind of makes sense for our show. He’s a great director because he’s very specific in what he wants and he talks to the actor. He’s an actor himself, so he knows how it feels. …It’s really been a great experience. I hope it happens more often.”

O’Donnell revealed that he was excited to be directing the show for the first time, saying, “I’m having a blast with it. I love it.”

While the NCIS: LA cast is tight-knit group, LL Cool J (“Sam Hanna”) assured that no pranks were played on O’Donnell and he wasn’t subjected to any hazing.

“I’m giving him all the love I can give him,” he said.

Check out the video to hear O’Donnell’s co-stars’ opinions on his directing gig as well as a sneak peek at tonight’s episode. NCIS: Los Angeles airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS.

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NCIS: Los Angeles’ March 5 episode, directed by Chris O’Donnell (who plays Callen), will explore the personal life of LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna, whose wife, Michelle (Aunjanue Ellis), is back for the first time since November and again goes undercover as her CIA alias, Quinn.

“There are some really strange things that happen that people won’t expect,” LL says. “She comes back in a very odd way, and her story is a lot grayer than people first thought.”

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Ever since Peter Cambor became a recurring cast member on NCIS: Los Angeles, the return visits of operational psychologist Nate Getz have been rather illuminating.

While last season revealed Nate to have become exceedingly more skilled in hand-to-hand combat than we ever imagined, this time around, the case is personal, dealing with matters of the mind — and, more importantly, the heart. When the team’s investigation of a Marine’s death leads them to the morgue, the agents begin to question whether the coroner, Nate’s former flirty friend Rose (Kathleen Rose Perkins), is hiding information.

“Nate kind of has a thing for Rose and Rose kind of has a thing for Nate,” Cambor, who now stars on TBS’ Wedding Band, tells TVGuide.com. “Hetty [Linda Hunt] has very specific designs as to why they need Nate. It’s because of this relationship. They’re exploiting it to get into the case in a more specific way.”

Although Cambor says Rose is surprised to see Nate sitting across the table from her, Nate is used to picking the brains of those closest to him. But now, there is more at stake. “It was unlike any interrogation I’ve ever done on the show before,” Cambor says. “Nate’s kind of a shy guy, but it seems he’s finally getting to make some headway with this person that he’s really, really interested in. All of a sudden he has to give her the third degree. It’s the one time he doesn’t want to be there. He’s really doing this against his will.”

But like a good agent, Nate follows his orders, which ultimately find him going undercover with Hetty. “I may or may not be playing her son,” Cambor says with a laugh. “The undercover scenes almost play like a Wes Anderson movie. It’s so surreal.”

Cambor says its an apt situation, given Hetty’s mother-figure role to many of the NCIS agents. “I really think she’s a teacher, like a sensei,” Cambor says. “It’s like Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid. I feel like every episode, Nate is like, ‘Why am I doing all of this?’ Of course, at the end of the movie, Daniel’s a great fighter.”

Indeed, Cambor believes Hetty is constantly training Nate for some unknown future goal. “What Nate has to do is hone his intellect,” he says. “That’s something he shares with Hetty. She’s not physically imposing, but she’s incredibly intelligent. I think part of him being sent away has to do with him getting tougher, but ultimately … he needs to become a better mental and intellectual and emotional warrior. Hetty’s always testing everyone, but this is really where he will become invaluable.”

But like all tests in life, it’s not easy. In fact, because of the personal nature of this case, Nate will begin to question his choices. “This is the first time Nate is psychologically put on that tightrope,” Cambor says. “If he’s keeping an eye on everyone else, who’s keeping an eye on him? He doesn’t know if he can do this.”

Fortunately, Nate finds his answers by the end of the episode — even if that means losing Rose. “He’s confirming that this is his life — beyond anything else, this [work] really does precedence,” Cambor says. “It’s a wake-up call for him about how important this is to him. Hetty’s really putting him through the gauntlet and as hard as it is, it’s right for him. He’s in the exact right place.”

NCIS: Los Angeles airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on CBS.

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While the agents from NCIS proper will be home for the holidays, their counterparts on CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles are taking a road trip. And by road I mean at sea, and by trip I mean undercover assignment – and TVLine has a first look at that Dec. 18 episode.

Ideally, the Los Angeles NCIS team’s holiday will be full of cheer and not fear — as Callen notes here, “Even bad guys don’t like being on the Naughty List” — as they spend Christmas aboard an aircraft carrier, investigating the death of a fellow agent.

Meanwhile back at HQ, Nell and Eric are quite full of the holiday spirit (or spirits) as evidenced by one of this promo’s two smooches.

Link to Video (Promo)

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CHEAT TWEET: .@CBS kicks off #CBSTweetWeek @ the CBS Connect Lounge Sept. 24-28: CBS.com/TweetWeek

SAN FRANCISCO – Sept. 21, 2012 – CBS will roll out the red carpet for the new fall season with the return of #CBSTweetWeek, giving fans direct access to their favorite CBS Television Network stars with a week full of social media events from Monday, Sept. 24 – Friday, Sept. 28.

Tweet Week @ the CBS Connect Lounge

This fall’s Tweet Week will be hosted in the CBS Connect Lounge on CBS.com, where fans will have the opportunity to attend a virtual lounge where they can chat live with CBS stars, producers and creative talent during the East Coast broadcast of their respective program’s premiere. In the lounge, fans will also be able to follow conversation streams related to their favorite CBS shows and participate in social polls around the premiere episodes.

To participate, fans can visit the CBS Connect Lounge on CBS.com and log in with their Facebook or Twitter accounts to chat live with CBS stars and talent during the scheduled times detailed below. Fans can also join the conversation on Twitter by following the hashtag #CBSTweetWeek or tweeting the talent’s Twitter handle when submitting questions directly from Twitter.

CBS.com’s Fall Premiere Show

In addition to Tweet Week @ the CBS Connect Lounge, CBS.com is also airing the Fall Premiere Show, hosted by Taryn Southern, to give fans of CBS Television Network shows an in-depth look at the Network’s fall schedule. The episodes will feature exclusive content from CBS’s anticipated new and returning fall series, including interviews with CBS stars, recaps from the previous season, and exclusive insights in to what fans can expect when the shows return.

The Fall Premiere Show is available on-demand on CBS.com, with each 15-minute episode focusing on one night of the CBS line-up. Episodes for Monday through Friday’s lineup are currently available on demand on CBS.com and Sunday’s episode will premiere at 9:00 AM, PT / 12:00 NOON, ET on Sept. 23. For more information on CBS.com’s Fall Premiere Show, please visit http://www.cbs.com/shows/fall-premieres-2012.

The Tweet Week schedule, including respective Twitter handles, is as follows:

Tuesday, Sept. 25

9:00 PM, ET / 6:00 PM, PT: NCIS: LOS ANGELES
Daniela Ruah (@DanielaRuah)
Eric Christian Olsen (@ericcolsen)
#NCISLA, #CallenSuspended

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