Cote de Pablo is a Chilean-American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Ziva David, an Israeli Mossad officer turned NCIS field agent.

And while she’s no longer on the show, she has made guest appearances. But exactly how much do you know about this talented lady?

All About NCIS’s Cote de Pablo

From when and where she was born to the many injuries she’s sustained in her lifetime, here are five fast facts about Cote de Pablo.

Who Is Cote de Pablo?

She was born on November 12, 1979, in Santiago, Chile, to Francisco de Pablo and Maria Olga Fernandez. She has a younger sister, Andera, and a brother, Francisco, and immigrated to the United States at the age of 10.

What Is In A Name?

Though she’s known the world over as Cote, de Pablo’s real name is actually Maria Jose. According to the actress, “When I was in 5th grade, people couldn’t pronounce it, so I told them to call me Coty. Then I found out there was a beauty line called Coty, and I hated that! So I changed it to Cote. A lot of people don’t get it, but in Chile, if your name is María José, they call you Cote.”

Gotta Start Somewhere

At age 15, she began working in the entertainment industry. First, she hosted episodes of the talk show Control (1994-95) on Univision, alongside former Entertainment Tonight host Carlos Ponce. Then she landed roles in commercials, and she even had a short stint on the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children, reportedly alongside Rudolf Martin (ex-Anton), who would go on to later play her half-brother Ari on NCIS.

Songbird

Aside from her acting and producing endeavors, de Pablo is also known for her singing. Her rendition of Tom Waits’ Temptation is featured on NCIS: The Official Soundtrack and she can be heard on both the soundtrack for the feature film The 33 and Roberto Pitre’s CD Vivo en vida.

Accident Prone

The actress still has a scar on her left earlobe from the time she caught her earring on a pillowcase, but that’s far from the only injury she has sustained. During her tenure at NCIS – where she insisted on performing all her own stunts – de Pablo took a gun barrel to the face and she was nicked by a piece of shrapnel.

NCIS will return to CBS’s Tuesday night lineup on November 11, 2020. Check your local listings for airtimes.