NCIS: Another Face of Ziva?  The actor was given 15 choices for the role, but he couldn’t do anything against Cote de Pablo!

NCIS: Another Face of Ziva? The actor was given 15 choices for the role, but he couldn’t do anything against Cote de Pablo!

An iconic figure of NCIS, Cote de Pablo has forever left his mark on the world of the series. It’s hard to imagine another face to play the former Mossad agent who joined Gibbs’ (Mark Harmon) team in Season 3 — a character he’ll play beyond his initial six-year contract until Season 11 before bidding farewell to the series.

Ziva David quickly became one of the most beloved characters in NCIS history, inspiring the franchise to bring her back for a new series focused on her life with Tony: the spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Their relationship built over the course of seasons — but the magnetic alchemy between the actors who played them was instant.

However, would it have been the same if Ziva had been played by another actor? Indeed, in the podcast he hosts Pablo’s rating And Michael Weatherly, titled “Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch,” during which the duo talk about the series and reveal many anecdotes, we learned that another actress almost played Ziva.

Pablo’s rating He even revealed that he thought his chances of getting the role were impossible, recalling his audition. When he arrived at the venue, another actor was also there for the audition. He admitted that he auditioned for the role 15 or 16 times! Pablo’s rating Then he had the feeling that the role already belonged to his rival, thinking that he could not be chosen.

He accepted the opportunity to audition at the last minute, and immediately flew to Los Angeles to try his luck – and still. During the podcast, the actor recalled the decisive moment when the host of the show, Donald P. Bellisario asked to laugh at the character’s character. Michael Weatherly, confronting him during an audition, disarming and tricking him—a proposition that set the stage for Tony and Ziva’s future romance, establishing their dynamic. Ziva has a balanced relationship with Tony due to her ability to intimidate, which the other women don’t. As soon as the audition was over, while he was waiting for a taxi to get home, Bellisario caught up with him and immediately revealed that he got the part after only one reading: the other actor didn’t get a chance to meet Côté after all!

ready dynamics

Michael Weatherly and Pablo’s rating He also recalled the embarrassing moment when the former improvised during the test, touching his partner’s face and telling him that she looked like Salma Hayek – a comment that the actress did not appreciate and which allowed her to become Ziva, immediately reconsidering her approach to the character. So that it becomes cruel and calm. The energy in the room would change then and that’s when they knew the audience was going to win.

I distinctly remember doing a test with Cote and saying that she looked a bit like someone who looked like Salma Hayek. I only remember his cold look. He immediately hated me – and I’m talking about Michael Weatherly. He just hated it. It was great that we quickly became very, very close friendsThe actor told E-News in 2016.

After accepting the role, the actor moved to California to immediately begin filming Season 3 NCIS. Chemistry was established in the audition room that day with his sister Michael Weatherly It was an important touchstone for the show’s history and set the tone for a relationship that fans have supported to the very end — and will continue to support in future spin-offs, no doubt.

Meanwhile, you can find NCIS: Special Investigations on M6, W9 or even 6Ter. The first 18 seasons of the series can also be streamed on Prime Video.

Source: Allocine

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