Cote de Pablo was a key figure on NCIS, and while it’s impossible to imagine the shared NCIS universe without her, she almost didn’t play Ziva David. De Pablo portrayed the character from seasons 3 to 11, staying with the series several years beyond her initial six-year contract. Ziva David became one of the most beloved characters in NCIS history, inspiring the franchise to bring her back for a new series centered on her life: the spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
The original NCIS characters, Ziva David and Anthony DiNozzo, earned their spinoff due to their magnetic chemistry on the flagship series. Their relationship developed over many seasons, but the new podcast hosted by NCIS stars, Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, revealed that some pivotal moments happened off-screen and defined how the characters interacted. The podcast also disclosed that Cote de Pablo initially thought her chances of getting the role were slim, which would have drastically altered the course of NCIS history.