María José de Pablo Fernández was born on November 12, 1979 in Santago, Chille

Early Life and Education

At age 10, she moved with her mother and younger brother to Miami, Florida when her mother accepted a job at a Spanish-language television network (Telemundo). Attended Arvida Middle School in Miami. Studied musical theatre at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater in 2000.

NCIS Breakthrough

In 2005, she was cast as Ziva David on the popular CBS series NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service). Ziva David is an Israeli Mossad officer turned NCIS Special Agent. Cote's performance was widely praised for its depth, strength, and complexity. She remained a main cast member for 8 seasons (2005–2013), returned for guest appearances in 2019–2020.

🎖 Awards & Recognition

o ALMA Awards (won in 2011 for Favorite TV Actress)
o Imagen Awards (multiple nominations)
o A fan favorite, especially for her on-screen chemistry with co-star Michael Weatherly (Tony DiNozzo).

Post-NCIS career

o The 33 (2015) — film about the Chilean mining accident.
o Prototype (2016) — TV pilot.
o Executive produced and starred in MIA (2023), among other developing projects.
o Occasional music performances.

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