Cote De Pablo

María José de Pablo Fernández, professionally known as Cote de Pablo, was born on November 12, 1979, in Santiago, Chile.
Her interest in art and performance began at a young age; when she was ten years old, her mother found work at an English-language television channel in Miami, prompting the family to move to the United States.
It was there that de Pablo discovered her passion for performing arts, pursued musical theatre training, attended a performing arts high school, and honed her talents.
She completed her university education in Musical Theatre at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University, further solidifying her expertise in acting and music at an academic level.
De Pablo took her first steps in her career on stage, performing at venues such as The Public Theater in New York.
Her entry into the television world came in the early 2000s with the talk show "Control," which she co-hosted with Carlos Ponce on Univision.
This experience showcased her charisma on camera and hosting abilities, yet it laid the groundwork for advancing in her true passion: acting.

She made her television acting debut with small roles in series such as "The Jury" (2004). Cote de Pablo's true turning point in his career and the role that propelled him to international fame came when he joined the cast of the popular series "NCIS" in 2005. The character of Israeli Mossad agent Ziva David, which he portrayed on the show, quickly became one of the audience's favorites. De Pablo successfully brought to life Ziva's complex backstory, physical strength, sharp intellect, and emotional depth that emerged over time. His abilities in action scenes, dynamic relationships with other characters, and unique mannerisms made him one of the show's most iconic and beloved figures. With this role, he won an ALMA Award in 2011. After spending eight seasons as a main cast member on "NCIS," de Pablo decided to leave the series in 2013, a decision that caused great surprise among his fans. Following her departure, the actress expressed her desire to continue her career with different projects and took a role in the 2015 film "The 33," which tells the true story of a mining disaster.

She also appeared in the miniseries "The Dovekeepers." However, the legacy of the Ziva David character and the strong demand from fans opened the door for Pablo's return to the "NCIS" universe. She made a surprise reappearance at the end of the show's 16th season in 2019 and appeared as a guest star in several episodes of the 17th season. This return was met with great enthusiasm.