María José de Pablo Fernández, professionally known as Coté de Pablo, began her career in the entertainment industry at age fifteen. The Santiago-born performer transitioned from hosting the Latin-American talk show Control to an extensive career in stage, television, and film, achieving global prominence through her portrayal of the character Ziva David in the long-running series NCIS.
Early Life and Education
Born on November 12, 1979, in Chile to Francisco de Pablo and María Olga Fernández, the future actress moved to the United States at age ten. While residing in Miami, she attended Arvida Middle School and the New World School of the Arts to focus on musical theater. She later relocated to Pennsylvania to attend Carnegie Mellon University, where she appeared in productions including The Fantasticks and A Little Night Music, graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama.
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Following her university graduation, she moved to New York City. Her early professional efforts included roles in the Fox network production The $treet and the CBS drama The Education of Max Bickford, alongside work in the New York City Public Theater and television commercials. In 2005, she was slated for a Broadway debut in The Mambo Kings, though the production closed after a trial run in San Francisco.
The NCIS Era
She gained international recognition in 2005 upon joining the cast of the police procedural NCIS as the Mossad officer Ziva David. Her audition process involved a chemistry test with Michael Weatherly. She earned an Imagen Award for the role in 2006 and an ALMA Award in 2011. Though she departed the series in 2013, she returned for a surprise appearance in the season 16 finale in 2019. In 2024, it was announced she would reprise the character for the Paramount+ spin-off NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
Film and Other Projects
Beyond television, she appeared in the 2014 film The 33, a dramatization of the 2010 Copiapó mining accident. In 2015, she featured in the CBS miniseries The Dovekeepers. Her musical contributions include a performance of Tom Waits' song Temptation for the NCIS soundtrack and vocal work on Roberto Pitre's album Vivo en vida. She was also attached to the television projects Prototype and the executive-produced drama MIA, though neither proceeded to full series production.
Fast facts
- Born: 1979, Santiago, Chile
- Education: Carnegie Mellon University
- Key Role: Ziva David in NCIS
- Awards: ALMA Award (2011)
- Imagen Awards: 2006, 2011, 2016
- Citizenship: Chile, United States
- Languages: English, Spanish
Questions readers ask
Did Cote de Pablo leave NCIS permanently?
She departed the series in 2013 but returned for a surprise appearance in 2019 and signed to star in the spin-off series NCIS: Tony & Ziva in 2024.
What is the origin of the name Cote?
It is a common Chilean nickname for the name María José, which she adopted in the fifth grade to assist her peers with pronunciation.
Achievements
- Educated at Carnegie Mellon University
- Worked as television actor, film actor and voice actor
