Who Is Lance Hamilton on ‘NCIS’? What to Know About Bill Goldberg’s Character Amid Return 

NCIS: Los Angeles has seen a number of famous faces guest star on the series since it began in 2009. Bill Goldberg first appeared as Lance Hamilton during the show’s 10th season and has made several cameos in the seasons that followed. Keep scrolling for details on the recurring character’s ​story line and the star who plays him. 

Who Is Lance Hamilton on ‘NCIS’? 

Bill made his NCIS: Los Angeles debut as Lance in 2018. The WWE superstar had several other acting credits to his name before tackling the action series, including The Longest Yard, The Flash and Con Man. He had a recurring role as Nick Mellor on the sitcom The Goldbergs from 2017 to 2022. 

In between his acting ventures, the Oklahoma native has returned to the wrestling ring, challenging some of WWE’s biggest stars to matches. Bill was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. He revealed that wrestling on a world stage helped his acting career in more ways than one. 

“Being a professional wrestler surely prepares you for any acting role in that we have to act on live television, so there’s a lot of pressure put there,” Bill explained during a November 2015 interview on “WrestleRant Radio.” “As far as physicality, as far as fight scenes, we’re no different, and in some cases, we’re even better than stunt coordinators. You also get the best bang for the buck because you get an actor and a stuntman at the same time.”

The athlete previously hosted Garage Mahal on DIY Network and authored the book I’m Next: The Strange Journey of America’s Most Unlikely Superhero. Lance is very different than any of the other characters Bill has played, completely nailing his role as a Department of Justice agent in one of TV’s most successful franchises. 

The fan favorite character has assisted in a number of dramatic missions throughout the seasons, including helping solve the murder of arms dealer Rick Dotson and finding the location of a missing FBI agent. In January 2023, the former professional football player made his NCIS return, joining the cast once more for the episode titled “Best Seller.” 

The thrilling episode also welcomed Erik Palladino back to the series, as the NCIS team was tasked with helping Navy SEAL Tom Olsen escape the enemies of his past. Longtime fans of the series were thrilled to see Bill perform an epic takedown during the episode, proving once again that his wrestling skills definitely came in handy for the role.