Cote de Pablo

Coté de Pablo is a Chilean-American actress and executive producer best known for her iconic portrayal of Ziva David on the CBS crime drama NCIS. Born María José de Pablo Fernández in Santiago, she relocated to Miami at age ten before moving to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Mellon University. Her career has spanned over two decades, marked by a defining role that captivated millions of viewers worldwide.

As of 2026, de Pablo remains a central figure in television history due to her long tenure on one of the network's most successful series. She currently serves as an executive producer on various projects within the franchise and maintains a significant presence on social media with over 2.5 million followers on Instagram. Her work continues to influence modern television drama and fan culture. [edit]

María José de Pablo Fernández was born in Santiago, Chile, where she spent her early childhood before political instability prompted her family to move to Miami, Florida, when she was ten years old. The family eventually settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she attended Arvida Middle School and later high school. Her interest in performance began early, leading her to pursue formal training at the prestigious School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater, honing her skills in singing, dancing, and acting on stage.

Before achieving mainstream recognition, de Pablo co-hosted the Latin American talk show Control alongside Carlos Ponce when she was just fifteen years old. This early media experience provided her with valuable exposure in the entertainment industry. She also performed in regional theater productions and took on minor television roles in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These formative years allowed her to develop the versatility that would later define her career, transitioning from stage performances to screen acting with confidence. [edit]

The turning point in de Pablo's career arrived in 2005 when she joined the cast of NCIS as Ziva David, an Israeli Mossad officer. Her character quickly became a fan favorite, and she remained with the series until 2014, departing after Season 11 following contract disputes and creative differences regarding the character's future direction. Despite leaving the main cast, she returned for guest appearances in subsequent seasons, including a memorable return in the episode "New Orleans" in 2018.

In 2025, she starred in the spinoff series NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which was canceled later that year due to production challenges and network decisions. As of September 2026, she serves as an Executive Producer on the project and continues to be a key figure in the NCIS universe. Her salary during her peak years on the show reportedly reached $150,000 per episode, contributing significantly to her financial success. She has also lent her voice to animated projects and appeared in films such as The Last Resort and The 33. [edit]

Known for her striking appearance and expressive eyes, de Pablo has cultivated a reputation as a versatile and dedicated performer who balances mainstream success with artistic integrity. Her signature style often features dark hair and elegant fashion choices that reflect her Latin American heritage. She maintains a strong social media presence, engaging directly with fans through Instagram updates on her projects, travel, and personal life. Her public persona is characterized by warmth and professionalism, earning her respect from both colleagues and audiences alike. [edit]

Coté de Pablo holds a steady position as the 10th most famous person from Chile, a standing confirmed by the iFANN Global Fame Rankings. This placement reflects her enduring impact across global media coverage and consumption signals. Her career has cultivated a massive, highly organized fanbase that operates without a single official name, instead coalescing around character-centric identities like "Team Ziva" or "Tony & Ziva" shippers. The community is renowned for its intensity, particularly following the cancellation of the spinoff series NCIS: Tony & Ziva in late 2025. Fans launched sophisticated digital campaigns and physical protests, including a notable mobile billboard drive through Paris in January 2026 to advocate for the show's return. These efforts highlighted the group's ability to mobilize resources internationally, trending hashtags and petitioning networks globally. Beyond activism, the fandom engages in charity drives supporting military families and veterans, reflecting the characters' backgrounds, while organizing streaming campaigns to keep original seasons accessible. Inside jokes often revolve around Ziva's signature fighting style and the enduring dynamic between her and Tony DiNozzo. De Pablo maintains a warm relationship with this audience, serving as an Executive Producer on the project and discussing the emotional weight of their work at conventions in New York and Brussels. [edit]

A widely retold story involves her initial departure from NCIS in 2014, where fans flooded social media with grief, creating a viral moment where the hashtag #BringBackZiva dominated trends worldwide. This event marked one of the first times a modern TV character's exit sparked a genuine movement to reverse a network decision. Another pivotal legendary moment occurred during the episode "New Orleans," where Ziva returns to the team. The scene where she reappears in the bullpen caused a palpable shift in the atmosphere, often cited by fans as a tear-jerker that validated years of waiting. The lore also includes the intense chemistry between De Pablo and Michael Weatherly, which became so famous it disrupted standard industry norms. Their reunion for the spinoff was treated as a major cultural event, with fans attending conventions specifically to see them together again. [edit]

De Pablo was raised in a middle-class family in Miami after her family fled political instability in Chile. She has kept details about her parents and siblings largely private, focusing public attention on her professional life. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California, and owns a vacation property in Miami. While she has not publicly confirmed any children, she maintains close ties with her extended family and frequently shares updates about her heritage and roots on social media platforms. [edit]

Michael Weatherly, Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, Sean Murray, Carlos Ponce. [edit]

De Pablo's romantic life has been largely private, though high-profile relationships have surfaced over the years. She was previously engaged to actor Jon Seda, whom she met while filming The Last Resort in 2003; the couple dated from 2003 to 2005 before splitting amicably due to scheduling conflicts and differing career priorities. Following this, she had a brief, low-key relationship with musician Chris Daughtry in 2008, which ended within months due to his touring schedule. There were also rumors of a romance with NCIS co-star Mark Harmon in the early 2010s, but these were never confirmed by either party or their representatives. As of 2026, de Pablo is single and has not publicly confirmed any new romantic partners. She has no children. [edit]

iFANN Editorial Team research places Coté de Pablo's net worth at approximately $12 million as of 2026. This estimate is derived from her earnings as a lead actress on NCIS, where her salary reportedly reached $150,000 per episode in later seasons. Additional income streams include her work as an executive producer on NCIS: Tony & Ziva, voice acting roles, and real estate investments. She owns a primary residence in Los Angeles and a vacation property in Miami, contributing to her overall asset portfolio. [edit]

De Pablo won the ALMA Award in 2011 for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role in NCIS. While she has been nominated for other awards, including People's Choice Awards and Teen Choice Awards, the ALMA remains her only major industry win to date. [edit]