Summary
Cote de Pablo was a key figure onNCIS, but while it’s impossible to imagine thesharedNCISuniversewithout her, she almost didn’t play Ziva David. De Pablo would go on to portray the character fromNCISseasons 3 to 11, staying with the series several years beyond her initial six-year contract with the show.Ziva David would become one of the most beloved characters inNCIShistory, inspiring the franchise to bring her back for a new series centered on her life: thespinoffNCIS: Tony & Ziva.
The originalNCIScharacters, Ziva David and Anthony DiNozzo, warranted their spinoff because their chemistry on the flagship series was magnetic. Their relationship built over manyNCISseasons, but it was revealed in the new podcast hosted by theNCISstars,Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch,that some pivotal moments happened outside the series and defined how the characters would interact with each other.Off Dutyalso revealed that Cotede Pablo thought her chances of getting the role were impossible, which would have changed the entire course ofNCIShistory.
Cote de Pablo Almost Lost The Role Of Ziva To Someone Who Auditioned Over 15 Times
Cote de Pablo Traveled To Los Angeles To Audition For The Role Of Ziva David
In theOff Duty: An NCIS Rewatchpodcast, in which de Pablo and Michael Weatherly revisitessential Tony and ZivaNCISepisodes, de Pablo recalled the events of her test screening. When she got to the theater, another actor was there to audition.The other prospective Ziva actor said that she had auditioned for the role 15 or 16 times, and de Pablo felt that the part already belonged to the other woman. De Pablo remembered hearing laughter among the other actors and those in the room before it was her turn to audition, thinking that there was no way she would be chosen.
Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatchis available onSpotify.
Cote de Pablo said she was in national commercials at the time, but a wake-up call had pushed her to audition for several TV roles. She got a call about the role on a Friday, suggesting there might be a test screening, but her manager didn’t think it would go through. It was to de Pablo’s surprise that she was flying to Los Angeles later that weekend to audition for the role of Ziva. She assumed they had brought her to California to be sure of their decision and that it wouldn’t be her.
NCIS Showrunner Donald P. Bellisario Revealed The News To Cote de Pablo Himself
OnOff Duty: An NCIS Rewatch,de Pablo remembered a pivotal moment whenNCISshowrunner Donald P. Bellisario had de Pablo laugh at Weatherly in the audition to disarm his antics. It was a suggestion that would lay the foundation forTony and Ziva’sNCISromance, establishing their dynamic. Ziva had a balanced relationship with Tony because of her ability to intimidate him where other women could not. De Pablo recalled when she headed home that evening, she was waiting to catch a cab whenBellisario caught up with her outside, ultimately revealing that she got the role after one screening.
Cote de Pablo called the moment Don Bellisario announced she had the role"the quintessential Hollywood moment."
NCIShistory happened when de Pablo read for the role of Ziva David.Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo recalled an infamous moment in theOff Duty: An NCIS Rewatchpodcast when Weatherly went off script, touched de Pablo’s face, and told her she looked like Salma Hayek. De Pablo remembered that it made her angry and that something in the room changed when she adjusted her character’s approach to something fierce and composed. The room’s energy shifted at that moment, and they knew they had won their audience over.
Cote de Pablo picked up her life in New York and moved to California to immediately begin filming forNCISseason 3.
After it was revealed that she had gotten the part, Cote de Pablo picked up her life in New York and moved to California to begin filming forNCISseason 3 immediately.The chemistry established in the room that day between Weatherly and de Pablo was a significant touchstone forNCIShistory, and it set the tone foranNCISrelationship that fans could get behind. While things will be different for off-duty agents in their new spinoff series, the dynamic wherein de Pablo keeps Weatherly in check, which won de Pablo her ZivaNCISrole despite all odds, will undoubtedly feature.
NCIS
Cast
NCIS is a television series that follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Premiering in 2003, the show explores various cases involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines.
