Curious World Staff
Cote de Pablo shocked NCIS fans with her return at the end of season 16. The Chilean actress started her career as a television personality and gained fame as Ziva David on NCIS, a role she played for 12 years before leaving to pursue other interests. Despite the mystery surrounding her departure, she continues to work as an actor today.
De Pablo was born María José de Pablo Fernández on November 12, 1979, in Santiago, Chile, and moved to Miami, Florida, with her family at the age of ten. She and Mark Harmon share a special relationship, highlighted by a top-secret meeting.
Cote de Pablo’s Childhood and Move to the United States
Cote de Pablo faced a significant adjustment when she moved from Chile to Miami at age ten. The language barrier and difficulty her classmates had pronouncing her name led her to adopt “Cote,” a common nickname in Chile.
In a 2012 interview with Prevention, de Pablo described the transition as challenging. She missed her homeland and friends, calling this period “defining.” She found solace and purpose at a performing arts high school, where her passion for the arts grew. Performing became a key way for her to connect with people in her new country, and it wasn’t until she arrived in the U.S. that she learned English.
De Pablo described these years as formative, embracing a “hippie” identity in contrast to her traditional, conservative upbringing. Her creative exploration was further influenced by her mother’s job at Telemundo, a Spanish-language TV network, after their move to Miami. This early exposure to the media industry likely paved the way for her future career. Eventually, she pursued her passion for the arts at Carnegie Mellon University.
First job in television
Cote de Pablo pursued her passion for music and theater at Carnegie Mellon, performing in plays such as The House of Bernarda Alba, And The World Goes Round, and A Little Night Music. She graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting and musical theater.
Following her mother’s path into show business, de Pablo began by anchoring the Latin-themed TV discussion program Control and performing in smaller theater productions at the New York City Public Theater. She transitioned to television with modest roles in All My Children and Fling, and appeared in commercials.
Her major break came in 2005 when she was cast as Officer Ziva David in the crime drama series NCIS. De Pablo’s portrayal of the tough female agent quickly made her a fan favorite. She identified with her character, sharing a similar strength and heritage. However, she noted the challenge of balancing her personal emotions with her character’s resilience, given Ziva’s traumatic background. “My character’s strength is similar to mine, but to a much greater extent,” de Pablo explained, emphasizing the need to maintain composure while portraying Ziva’s intense experiences.
‘NCIS’ star Cote de Pablo plays Ziva David.
Acting can be a dream job, but it also has its challenges. ‘NCIS’ star Cote de Pablo, who played Ziva David, experienced this firsthand. “I literally had 48 hours to learn a monologue in Hebrew,” she recalled. “It was terrifying. I used to judge actors in Latin roles for not speaking Spanish well, and now I was in the same position.”
De Pablo appeared in 189 episodes of NCIS from 2005 to 2013, with brief returns in 2019 and 2020, but never as a regular cast member. She was nominated for three American Latino Media Arts Awards and won one in 2011 for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series.
Working on NCIS for so long, de Pablo formed close bonds with her castmates, particularly Mark Harmon. Despite rumors, she clarified that they never had an affair but shared a special friendship.
Relationship with Mark Harmon
Cote de Pablo described her relationship with Mark Harmon as more of a “mentor buddy” and a father figure. “Ziva and Gibbs have it, but so do Cote and Mark,” she told BUILD. Despite his busy schedule, their bond is strong. “You can go a long time without talking, but you’ve created a foundation,” de Pablo said. “You can pick up right where you left off.”
On the NCIS set, they had great rapport, and de Pablo even gave Harmon several nicknames like “Marcos” and “Dorko.”
When de Pablo left NCIS in 2013, fans were devastated. She later explained her departure was due to respect for her character and dissatisfaction with “political things” and the quality of the scripts. Fans were thrilled when she briefly returned as Ziva David in 2019 and 2020.
Cote de Pablo’s covert rendezvous before the resumption of ‘NCIS’
Before returning to ‘NCIS’, Cote de Pablo had a covert rendezvous with Mark Harmon, who orchestrated a surprise meeting attended by executive producers. She recalled in a 2019 AOL interview, “I come outside, and who do I see? I just hugged him tight, and he went, ‘Cotes.’ It was extremely heartfelt.”
Currently, the 42-year-old actress is considering a future in musicals, as she shared with Prevention. After leaving ‘NCIS’, de Pablo starred in the 2010 Chilean mining disaster film ‘The 33’, the miniseries ‘The Dovekeepers’, and the 2016 film ‘Prototype’. Her latest film credit was in ‘Seneca’ (2019).
On ‘NCIS’, de Pablo’s character, Ziva David, had a special bond with Michael Weatherly’s character, Anthony DiNozzo, though this did not translate to an off-screen romance. From 2000 to 2015, de Pablo was linked to actor Diego Serrano. Currently, she does not appear to have any romantic commitments but knows what she seeks in a relationship.
Cote de Pablo’s love life, relationship, and net worth
Cote de Pablo values deep, meaningful conversations and vulnerability in relationships. She told Watch! Magazine, “One of the things I love is just being able to talk to someone, to be vulnerable and feel someone else’s vulnerability… Everything is fine if you can laugh with someone.”
Despite her desire to start a family, de Pablo acknowledges that finding the right person can be challenging. In a 2013 interview with Rachel Ray, she expressed optimism, saying, “I believe it will happen eventually… when the time is right.” She seeks a partner who can balance her out and act as a stabilizing force.
Cote de Pablo’s net worth is estimated to be $6 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Having made a significant impact on ‘NCIS,’ de Pablo remains a beloved character. Fans hope to see her in many more projects in the future, wishing her continued success.
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