How Cote De Pablo’s Private Life Led to Her Secretive NCIS Exit

The difficult fact about this actress is that she’s extremely private and, quite frankly, the only people who know anything about her are her close friends and co-workers. However, her privacy did not deter the Popular Everything team from digging up all the information about Cote de Pablo that everyone wants to know. We’re about to give you the lowdown on her early life, love, and relationships, and the reason she decided to ditch the show NCIS! All we can say for now is that Cote de Pablo is not a simple person, and she has her reasons for making some of the pivotal decisions in her acting career and her love life. When you find out why she left NCIS, you’ll understand why you do not want to mess with her.

Cote de Pablo’s Humble Beginnings as a Waitress

All successful people start somewhere. For Cote, her start was at a restaurant. The aspiring actress had just finished her theater degree at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University when she found herself completely out of work.

She moved to New York with high hopes of making it big on Broadway. The competitive theater scene in NYC showed Cote no mercy, and she could hardly land a role here and there. Cote decided to find a job as a waitress in Manhattan so that she could have some money to live off while she tried to catch her big break.

Cote’s Struggle to Find Her Place in the US Gave Her Thick Skin

When Cote was ten years old, her family decided to move from her home country, Chile, to the United States. Trying to fit in with the kids in her new school just added more pressure as she tried to improve her English.

Cote hardly fit in with any group until her parents finally agreed to enroll her in a performing arts school. Acting just felt right, and she felt that she had finally found her place in life. This feeling is what motivated her to push past all the tough times in New York. She was the new girl again, but this time she knew that the stage was where she wanted to be.

Her Acting Days Began at the Age of Fifteen

Cote’s love for acting developed at a young age. She knew that acting is what she wanted to do and by the age of fifteen she landed herself her first role on TV.

The young actress hosted a Latin-American talk show called “Control” alongside “Entertainment Tonight’s” Carlos Ponce. Although this role was not major, it gave her the experience she would need as she moved on with her career. The producers of the show loved her bubbly energy and found her to be the perfect fit for the job. Working on this set really confirmed that the fact that acting was the only direction she wanted to move in. It was acting or nothing!

Cote Admitted That Her Dream Was to Be a Secretary

Before Cote de Pablo found her place in a performing arts school, she dreamed of being a secretary. She told interviewers at TV Guide that a secretarial position was the ultimate goal for her.“Believe it or not, I wanted to be a secretary, much like Maggie Gyllenhaal in The Secretary.

I had clips all over and markers, and you know, the old-fashioned typewriters… I like to follow direction… and, by the way, I became an actor, so I’m kind of doing it anyway.” Little did Cote know, she would wind up being more like the actress who played the secretary than the role she was infatuated with.

Wait a Minute; Her Real Name Is Not Cote de Pablo!

Something most people don’t know about the sensational star is that her real name is not what we think it is. When ten-year-old Cote and her family Moved to Miami Florida, Cote noticed that not too many people were able to pronounce her name correctly.

Her real name is Maria Jose de Pablo. To make things easier on her peers she decided to call herself Cote. This name made her feel like she was back at home in Chile. Cote was the nickname her friends gave her years before she moved to the United States. “..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 [KOH-teh]. A lot of people don’t get it, but in Chile, if your name is María José, they call you Cote.”

Cote’s Teacher Gave Her the Inspiration She Needed to Chase Her Dreams

When Cote de Pablo moved to the United States, she realized she had a huge problem. The future actress understood that until she mastered English, she would be struggling to get by. One of the only English words she knew was “run.”

One of her teachers noticed how difficult things were for her, so he decided to help her get on the track team. He thought it would help her learn more words and make friends. Cote recalled this period of her life on “The Late Show.” “Before I knew it, I was a little track and field star. And I remember, he would say in the middle of a competition, he would scream and get very red and scream, ‘Cote, run!’ And that’s all I knew” she said.

Cote Was Forced to Choose Between Broadway and Television

Throughout the beginning of her career, Cote mainly emphasized musical theater. It was what she loved most and everyone who knew her personally at the time would have expected her to continue on this path throughout the rest of her career.

However, her career’s entire trajectory changed after she had to choose between television and theater. Cote was offered to do The Mambo Kings Broadway show and a role on NCIS at the same time. This was a pivotal moment in her career. It was almost impossible for her to choose between these two incredible opportunities, and she never ended up having to. The Mambo Kings canceled their show, and Cote was left with the NCIS role.

NCIS Changed Cote’s Life

When Cote accepted the role of Ziva David, an ex Mossad officer who joined the NCIS, she had no clue what to expect. On the one hand, signing a contract with a TV show gives actors a sense of long term financial security.

However, on the other hand, characters in TV shows are written on the show in the blink of an eye depending on whether or not the viewers respond positively to it. Cote was determined to nail this role and secure her spot on NCIS. She worked really hard to learn and Israeli accent and mindset so that she can succeed, and it worked. Cote’s character was a hit!

Cote’s First Love

For those of you who remember the series “Time of Your Life,” you’ll surely remember the character, Diego Serrano. Cote de Pablo and Diego ran into each other back in the year 2000 and fell in love. The two began what would be a fifteen-year relationship.

They care so much for each other and really admire each other’s personalities. Cote even said that if it were not for Diego Serrano, she would be the most boring person in Hollywood. According to her, he is the one who pushes her to live life and enjoy it to the fullest.

The Biggest Challenge Cote Experienced While Working for NCIS

A big part of being an actress is learning how to transform yourself into the character you have to play. Naturally, this is a hard thing to do for any actor, but Cote had a particularly difficult time.

She practiced her Israeli-English accent for hours on end, but she was in no way prepared for the task the producers handed her in Hebrew. Two days after she appeared on the show, Cote was asked to memorize a full telephone conversation in Hebrew. Cote said that she spent two full days memorizing the conversation and trying to get the Hebrew “r” sound to roll perfecting off her tongue.

Fans Petitioned to Bring Ziva Back to NCIS

It is not surprising to learn that fans were going crazy after Ziva left the show. She was a vital player for the show, and her presence was clearly missed. To say the least, fans were heartbroken.

The outrage was so strong that people even created an online petition to bring her back to the show and this was before they knew the truth about why she left. CBS was completely overwhelmed as they received thousands of letters from Ziva fans who were begging for their girl to come back. CBS felt like they had no option but to make Cote a crazy offer to bring her back. But nothing was going to change Cotes Mind.

Health Concerns

Cote’s hard work, talents, determination, and success are what pushed her towards the lifestyle of the rich and the famous. However, no matter how hard a person works, there are so many things that are out of their control.

Cote pushed her efforts to the limit so that she could continue acting, but her health wound up getting in the way. Cote experienced major weight gain within a very short amount of time. It was hard for her to understand why her body was changing, and she expected the worst. Eventually, she discovered that her body was reacting to her getting off of her birth control pills.

Cote Stated That Diego Was the Worst Influence She Ever Had

The relationship between Cote de Pablo and Diego Serrano was a bit on the complicated side. Although they shared many happy moments together throughout their fifteen-year relationship; the two people were very different.

Cote is naturally more reserved and loves to spend loads of time hanging out at home and relaxing. However, Diego Serrano is completely different. Serrano is a self-described party animal that loves to go out multiple times a week. In a sense, they really push each other to explore other aspects of life. In regards to Serrano, Cote said: “he’s the worst influence that I have ever had in my life, and I love him for it.”

Cote’s Heartbreak Was an Obstacle She Had to Overcome

Fifteen years is a long time for people to be together, especially in Hollywood! After being each other’s partners in crime, Diego and Cote called it a quits. The thing about this couple is that they are very good at keeping the intimate details of their lives on the down low.

No matter how hard the tabloids tried to get the scoop on why Cote and Serrano broke up; they could hardly dig up any information. The only thing that was obvious was that Cote was heartbroken. She refused to comment on the split, and so did he. To this day she has remained silent about her love life and has not dated anyone publicly.

Cote Had a Spiritual Awakening

Cote de Pablo grew up in a religious Catholic home. Although her faith in religion was always strong, it reached new heights when she was twenty-one years old and discovered that her grandmother had cancer.

She was devastated to hear that the woman she shared such a close bond with was in bad health. Cote recalls this moment and says she began to doubt God. Cote cursed god and said “If you exist, you will take my grandmother within twenty minutes. If you don’t, I’ll never believe in you again.” According to her, after ten minutes went by, her grandmother passed away. After that moment, Cote’s faith in God strengthened tremendously.

Cote Actually Has a Major Fear of Guns

It sounds pretty ironic to hear the NCIS actress admit that her biggest fear in life is guns. Her character, Ziva, is a former Mossad agent which is the equivalent of being a member of the CIA. Therefore, she should have been pretty comfortable with weapons.

Before she got her big role on the show, Cote had never fired a gun let alone gone near one because she was afraid of them. This is very strange for fans to learn. For all they knew, Ziva was well accustomed to dealing with criminals terrorists and all sorts of danger that Israelis have to face from their surrounding countries.

She Performs Her Own Stunts

While Cote is known to stay away from guns and other weapons, she gets pretty involved with her stunts. Back in the days when she was acting in NCIS, she was performing all of her character’s stunts.

In an interview, she said “In one episode…we had to pretend the truck was moving so we had to keep ourselves moving the whole time. I remember my knees were all bruised up because I had to fall so many times.” The reason why she asks to do her own stunts is that she says that coming home after a long day of stunt work makes her feel fulfilled. It looks like this actress like to pick and choose her thrills!

She Frequently Got Injured on the Set of NCIS

You would think that a girl born in Chile who made it big in the United States would be a total sensation for the Chilean people. Apparently, this is not true in Cote’s case.

When people mention her name in Chile, no one really knows who they’re talking about. Although she would like to be an inspiration to all the aspiring actors in her hometown, she does enjoy feeling like a regular person. She is even surprised when someone recognizes her on the streets of Chile. She added, “it is different when an American says this than someone from Santiago.”

We Know Little About Her Because She Doesn’t Use Social Media Accounts

Today it would be a tough mission to find out about anyone who doesn’t have social media accounts. That is why it is so incredibly hard to learn about Cote’s life. Unlike most celebrities, she treasures her privacy more than anything else.

Cote even criticizes the celebrities who constantly complain about the fact that they don’t feel like they have any privacy, yet they constantly post about their lives on their Instagram accounts. She is a woman of her word. If she wants privacy, she is going to get it.

Cote de Pablo Loves to Sing

Cote de Pablo is most famous for her acting career, but what she loves to do most is to sing. In fact, Palo started her career out by singing in musical theater shows and was even offered a major role in the Broadway play The Mambo Sings.

Despite the long eight years that Cote spent on an action tv show, her heart is with the theatre! The producers of NCIS decided to let Cote show off her singing skills in one episode where she was able to sing the song Temptation by Tom Waits. She also got to sing the song Vivo En Vida.

She Follows One Path: Her Own!

Over the past ten years, this sensational actress has shown the world that she has a strong personality that shines in her roles on the television and in real life. She is just someone who has to do things in her own way.

“The last time I was home visiting Chile, I was grilled about having kids and about whether I would baptize a child when I have one. Our lives are just very different. I’m not sure if they agree, but I’m not giving up my opinion, she said in an interview.”

Cote’s Net Worth

Cote de Pablo got herself a permanent name in the show business as not only an extremely successful actress but also a respectable one. The special thing about Cote is that she always remains classy. Her smart life choices and global following have garnered her a net-worth of a four million dollars.

All of her hard work and determination paid off, to say the least. We know that she is the type of person who won’t just stop working, so she’s definitely looking for something to do. We just can’t wait to find out what it is.

She Calls Herself an Old Soul

While some people enter the limelight feeling like that is where they wanted to be their entire lives, Cote does not feel that way. She is a self-described old soul that’s looking for something more than glamour.

She came from a traditional background and valued very simple things rather than the extravagant treasures. She is pretty much a hippie who found herself in the center stage of Hollywood.

How Cote Keeps Her Life Balanced

With all the new changes in Cote’s life, she needs to find a way to keep some sort of balance going for her. Cote regularly practices in a yoga studio so that she could increase her flexibility and keep up an overall healthy lifestyle.

She started practicing yoga after she got a severe neck injury while performing a stunt on the set of NCIS. Ever since then, she has made yoga part of her regular routine. She practices Vinyasa yoga four to five times a week.

Cote’s Favorite Role Was in “The 33”

After leaving the show “NCIS,” Cote landed a role in the movie “The 33.” The movie shows the events of Chile’s 2010 mining crisis. It emphasizes the thirty-three miners who survived being buried beneath the earth for 69 days.

Cote had the role of one of these miner’s, Alex Vega’s, wife. This movie was very close to Cote’s heart. In an interview with Roger Ebert, she said, “I’m Chilean, so it really hit close to home…I saw the first, the second and the third [miners] come out and I remember I was just a mess! It was an incredible thing, and the world was glued.”

Cote Is a Firm Believer

Religion is not particularly the most popular topic nowadays, especially not in Hollywood. However, Cote is not trying to hide the fact that she is totally sticking with their faith, and it’s not a bad thing.

Cote said that many of her friends and fans question her belief in God. She tells them that there is evidence of a higher power everywhere and especially in nature.

Cote Has a Hard Time Being Separated From Her Family

Cote is a hard worker and that sometimes gets in the way of doing the thing she values most; spending time with her family. Naturally, an actress finds herself most productive in the famous city of Hollywood.

Although California is a beautiful state, Cote would rather be closer to her sisters who live in New York City. However, it is not only her sisters that she’s separated from. Cote’s mom lives in Chile while her dad and brother live together in Miami. She’s reached high levels of success but her ultimate dream is to be close to her family.

Mark Harmon and David McCallum Are Her Inspirations

This old soul gets inspiration from a lot of different places. One of the main people who keep her inspired is Mark Harmon and David McCallum. These two actors served as mentors for Cote de Pablo while she was working on the set of NCIS.

They too were characters in the show, but they had far more experience than Cote, especially when the show first began. They always offered her a helping hand and did whatever they could to make sure she felt confident as she carried out her role as Ziva.

Cote’s Fans Were Not the Only Ones Who Were Sad to See Her Go

While Cote’s NCIS fans were outraged by the fact that the show let her go, they were not the only ones who were freaking out. The cast of NCIS loved having Cote on set, especially Mark Harmon.

He plays special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs who shares a lot of screen time with Ziva. He was so upset that he publicly stated, “I don’t know how you define this show any longer without Cote.” Martina Sitris, who plays Orli Elbaz, was also touched by the fact that she was off the show. “…sad to hear Cote is leaving NCIS. She’s a wonderful woman and I so enjoyed the storyline we shared. She will be sorely missed,” Martina stated.

She Comes From a Broken Family

Unfortunately, when Cote was a little girl living in Chile, her parents struggled in their marriage. Eventually, they decided that the best decision for them was to get a divorce.

After their split, her father decided to move to the United States, and the children went along with him. Living far from her mother was never easy for this actress. She visits her as much as her Hollywood schedule allows it. But when they are not together, they’re calling each other to talk about the thing they both love to do; cook.

Her Younger Brother Is a DJ in Miami

Cote de Pablo is not the only one in her family with artistic talents. Cote’s younger brother has a deep love for music and has made his passion part of his career. As of now, he is a DJ based in Miami which is the perfect city to express your Latino culture.

He has booked some of the most elite parties and plans on working harder to farther his career in the music field. Cote says she is super proud of him and that she is his number one supporter.

A Self-Described Romantic and She Doesn’t Want to Hide It

Some people can’t fight their nature, they are simply hopeless romantics. Cote de Pablo may be single but that does not stop her heart from dreaming of finding her Prince Charming.

Cote was quoted saying “I still get very excited when people say they fall in love. It doesn’t matter how old you are, falling in love is a beautiful thing. And I still act like I did when I was a teenager. I get fluttery and tap dance around. I’m never afraid of making funny faces or being completely goofy.”

Cote Tries to Hang With Loved Ones as Much as Possible

Cote highly prioritizes her work but she values her family more than anything else. Her main priority in life is spending time with the ones she loves. She even stated that one of her favorite past times is just hanging out at home and with her friends and family. She is in no way a party person.

Cote would rather skip the parties and binge watch movies with loved ones! That aspect of her personality was exactly what made her and her ex-boyfriend so different from each other. She tried to change and become more of a club rat but that was just impossible for her to do.

The One Health Rule She’ll Never Break

Actors and actresses have a really hard time keeping a solid weekly routine. They fly from one place to the other so a workout schedule and diet is almost impossible to stick to.

However, there is one health rule that she will never break no matter where she goes in life and that’s getting eight hours of sleep in every single night. She vows never to get any less than that! She claims that it also helps her remember her lines. According to her, a lack of sleep will fudge her memory.

No Plastic Surgery

Life in the limelight may seem glamorous, but it is actually quite stressful for people to maintain a healthy mindset in it. Flashing lights, close-ups, and tabloids all eat away at a famous person’s self-esteem.

Every imperfection they have is pointed out and criticized that’s why plastic surgery feels like the only solution. Cote de Pablo is strongly against going under the knife because she believes it is important to flaunt natural beauty and give off a realistic perception of a woman.

She Loves Game of Thrones

One would think that an actress who stars in a TV series would name their show as being the one they love the most. However, when it comes to Cote de Pablo she says her favorite show is not NCIS.

Cote loves the show “Game of Thrones” and not because she is a fan of all the action. “Any kind of show where you get to see women wear long beautiful hair, corsets, and lovely wardrobe, I’ll be there watching,” she says.

Nature Keeps Cote Grounded

While the fabulous Hollywood lifestyle can be fun and entertaining, paparazzi become too much for a person to handle. Hollywood stars struggle to find the one thing that keeps them feeling grounded.

This was something that Cote de Pablo struggled with for years until she learned that nature is the one thing that keeps her feeling down to earth. She loves to go on hikes, and visit non-touristy islands. She is not big on the whole luxury aspect of traveling. The more simple and secluded a place is, the more Cote is drawn to it.

Award-Winning Actress

Cote de Pablo is a very talented actress, and if you need some convincing to believe it, you should probably check out her skills on the show NCIS. In 2006 she got the Imagen award for “Best Supporting Actress in Television,” for her appearance in the show NCIS.

This was not the only recognition she got for acting. Cote de Pablo was nominated for several ALMA awards throughout the years. In 2010 she won the award for ALMA Award for “Outstanding Actress in a Drama Television Series.” The most recent award she’s won is the Imagen award for Best Supporting Actress.

Cote Speaks Ten Languages

Acting is not the only talent Cote de Pablo Has. She is a language enthusiast. Spanish and English are not the only languages she speaks. Cote is also fluent in Hebrew, English, Arabic, Pashto, Russian, French, Italian, Spanish, German and Turkish.

Most people struggle to learn the basics in their French class so just imagine what level of genius she has to be to learn these many languages in-between being an actress in Hollywood.

She Strongly Believes She Has Been Reincarnated and Will Be Back

As we mentioned before, Cote de Pablo is a woman with a very strong faith in her religion. She is super spiritual and is convinced that her soul is an old one. However, Cote does not think that her spirit will be lost once she passes away.

The actress is a firm believer in reincarnation and has stated that she knows she has been on this Earth before and that she will come back again in another life. Cote said that one life will not be enough to purify her soul and that she will need a few more tries to get the job done.

We’re Waiting for Her Next Big Role

Cote de Pablo is in no way “basic.” She is one of the most unique Hollywood personalities. While most people want to party and enjoy the life of the rich and the famous, Cote would rather kick back with friends or call her mom to discuss her latest cooking recipe.

It is this uniqueness that makes her such a good actress and we hope we will see her face on a screen sometime in the near future. For now, Cote is just making her fans get more and more curious about her next move in her career. The Popular Everything team is on the edge of their chairs, waiting for her next big role.

Cote’s Life After NCIS

Cote de Pablo did not plan on leaving the show NCIS; rather it was something that she felt she needed to do. Cote wants to use her mind more than a regular actor is required to. After leaving the show, she announced that she would only agree to take on roles that allow her to use some of her own creative talents.

In the five years that she’s been off the show, Cote has acted in “The 33” and CBS’s Miniseries “The Dovekeepers.” She was happy with those roles but says that she is still looking for a long term project that will allow her to have some creative freedom.

A Proud Immigrant

Cote loves her native country of Chile but she is also a proud American. She is an advocate of immigrants’ rights because she knows how hard it was for her to transition into a new country. Despite her struggles, this is what made her stronger.

She believes that given an opportunity, anyone from a distant country can become successful in whatever their heart desires.

Her Fans have Created Multiple Social Media Accounts

Although the actress prefers a private life, this is not what you get as a celebrity. Since her presence is requested by many, Cote’s fans have created several Instagram accounts in her honor with beautiful pictures of the actress both on and off the screen. These images tell a story about how Cote lives her life. This is probably the most you will be able to see of her private life.

Albeit these accounts are not managed by Cote directly, followers have painted an image of a down to earth, fun and easy going actress often posing with costars or fans.

She Has a Good Reputation

Despite all the haters and trolls on the internet, Cote maintains a clean image. She avoids drama and controversy as a result of her much-coveted private life. Much can be exaggerated online but it seems despite all rumors, Cote has maintained a pristine persona.

Her coworkers have expressed she is a pleasure to work with on set. She has maintained many professional work relationships in the industry, which may grant her starring roles in the future.

From Actress to Producer

The newest project for Cote is transitioning to production with “NCIS” costar Michael Weatherly. These two are reuniting and teaming up to produce a new detective drama series for CBS, called “MIA.”

The show follows a newly minted homicide detective who is assigned to an experienced, by-the-book partner to solve cases in Miami. The inexperienced agent struggles to keep her involvement with the undercover assignment from jeopardizing her future. A drama we surely don’t want to miss!

Not in It for the Money

How do you think most Hollywood stars got to where they are today? By carefully choosing their projects, based on what they think will earn them the big bucks. Proving she’s not like the rest, Cote admitted that this is simply not a concern for her.

In an interview, Cote admitted that when getting involved in a new project, “there are a lot of factors that may not translate to money (…) but they may translate to a creative freedom.” For this star, it’s all about being happy about what you do, regardless of how heavy the paycheck will be.