If you’re a fan of NCIS, you probably first saw Cote de Pablo in her iconic role as Ziva David, who joined the show in Season 3 after the departure of Sasha Alexander’s Caitlin Todd. De Pablo remained a key part of the cast for eight seasons, but her early days on the show were marked by a memorable and nerve-wracking experience.
On a recent episode of Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, co-hosts Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly, who played Tony DiNozzo, recounted a harrowing moment from de Pablo’s early days. Weatherly shared how, during her first season, de Pablo faced a challenging situation while filming with David McCallum, who plays Donald “Ducky” Mallard.
According to Weatherly, de Pablo was still adjusting to the fast-paced world of television. After finishing a long scene, she was unexpectedly called to shoot a four-page autopsy scene with Ducky. Unfamiliar with the call sheet and the day’s schedule, she was caught off guard and panicked.
De Pablo, who came from a theater background where she was used to having more time to memorize her lines, felt unprepared. She was used to having hours to perfect her dialogue, but TV production didn’t allow for that kind of preparation. “I felt like such a failure,” she admitted, describing her anxiety about not having her lines memorized.
Fortunately, the situation turned around for de Pablo. Despite the initial stress, she managed to catch a break and ultimately delivered a performance that reson with fans and became a defining part of her career on NCIS.
