Spy: Kiwi star's cool Hollywood arrival

Alex Tarrant and Vanessa Lachey at the The Salute to NCIS in LA.

Rising Kiwi actor Alex Tarrant got his Hollywood moment last Sunday, flying in for a popular TV festival with his fellow NCIS: Hawaii castmates.

The star attended the annual weeklong Paleyfest, which includes screenings of popular shows and cast Q&As.

An event called The Salute to NCIS brought together the full casts of the original NCIS, LA and Hawaii shows.

Tarrant posed with superstar LL Cool J, star of the LA version of the show, on the black carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Alex Tarrant with rapper turned actor LL Cool J

Tarrant also posed like the star he has become with co-star Vanessa Lachey, whose other show, The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On with husband and former popstar Nick, is currently nudging Bridgerton for the No 1 spot on Netflix.

"Absolutely mind-blowing for a boy from Raglan," Tarrant tells Spy of his big night in Hollywood.

"I'm so grateful to be part of this amazing show, cast and crew, and I can't wait for NZ to see the show."

In the series, which will debut on TVNZ 2 next Tuesday, Tarrant stars as Kai Holman, a new NCIS agent on the team who recently returned home to care for his father.

On his return, Kai gets a job and a new boss - Jane Tennant played by Lachey, the first female NCIS special agent, in charge of NCIS Pearl Harbour.

Season 2 is on the way, which Tarrant tells Spy will premiere in the US in June.

He became a household name in Aotearoa with starring roles in 800 Words, Shortland Street and Filthy Rich. He is married to fellow Kiwi actress showbiz wiz Luci Hare and they have a 4-year-old son, Beaumont.

Last year, their life moved to paradise when the 32-year-old actor was cast in the lead role in the Hawaiian spin-off, and after the first season premiered in the US last September, he has become an autograph-worthy star. That recognition is about to go up another level as Tarrant is also starring in Amazon's Lord of the Rings series, which premieres worldwide in September.

Last month Tarrant hit Kiwi cinemas, starring in the Taika Waititi-produced Canadian-Kiwi film collaboration movie, Night Raiders. The film is a dystopian take on Canada's dark colonial legacy and was a standout from last year's international film festival circuit.