Cote de Pablo

Best known for her recurring role as Ziva David on " NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service," Coté de Pablo was born María José de Pablo Fernández into a wealthy Roman Catholic family in Chile. De Pablo's nickname was Coté, a common moniker in Chile for women named María José. At 10, she moved to Miami, Florida, with her family, where her mother had gotten a job in television. De Pablo went on to attend New World School of the Arts and Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied music and theater. After college, she moved to New York City to pursue acting. De Pablo made her television debut in 1994 as a host on "Control." She made her way into television narratives in 2000 in an episode of "The Street." Two years later, she landed a lead role on the courtroom drama "The Jury," which lasted only 10 episodes. The next year she was poised to make her Broadway debut in "The Mambo Kings," but the show closed after a poorly received run in San Francisco. Two days after the cancellation, de Pablo got the call to audition for "NCIS." In short order she was cast as the Israeli Mossad Liaison Officer cum Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent, Ziva David. Her portrayal of the fearless agent earned her critical acclaim and an Imagen Award in 2006. De Pablo has also pursued her interest in singing, and has a cover of Tom Waits's "Temptation" on the series' soundtrack.