Cote De Pablo Net Worth 2026: Salary & Success Story
Cote De Pablo Net Worth is shaped by her long TV career and recent projects. Get clear 2026 insights into her earnings and professional growth.
Author:Chloe AndersonApr 13, 2026388 Shares10.2K Views
Cote de Pablo (born María José de Pablo Fernández) was born on 12 November 1979 in Santiago, Chile. She grew up as the eldest child in a well-off Chilean family. Her mother, María Olga Fernández, was a television personality in Chile, and her father, Francisco de Pablo, worked in business.
In Santiago the family lived in a comfortable, Roman Catholic environment. When Cote was ten years old (around 1989), her parents moved the family to Miami, Florida. This move was prompted by her mother’s job offer at the Spanish-language network Telemundo, which took the entire family from Chile to Miami.
After relocating to Miami, de Pablo continued her schooling with a focus on the performing arts. She attended local schools in Miami (including middle school) and then enrolled at the New World School of the Arts, a Miami performing-arts high school, where she studied music and theatre.
Following high school, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting and Musical Theater from Carnegie Mellon University, graduating in 2000. Throughout her childhood and teen years, she concentrated on music and theatre education.
| Topic | Details |
| Full Name | María José de Pablo Fernández |
| Birth Date | Nov 12, 1979 |
| Birthplace | Santiago, Chile |
| Nationality | Chilean-American |
| Education | BFA, Carnegie Mellon |
| Career Start | TV host at 15 (Control) |
| Breakthrough | Ziva David, NCIS |
| Episodes | 187 (2005–2013) |
| Income Sources | Acting, TV, music, producing |
| Net Worth 2026 | Not publicly disclosed |
Early Career Moves And Entry Into Acting
Cote de Pablo laid her professional foundations in musical theatre and stage performance. She graduated from the renowned Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and Musical Theater.
During this period she appeared in several stage productions, including Shakespeare’s Measure for Measureat New York’s Public Theater, honing her craft in a classical setting. Shortly after college, de Pablo moved to New York City to pursue professional acting.
In 2001 she was cast in a production of Measure for Measureby the Public Theater and spent roughly two years in regional theatre, gaining experience before transitioning to screen work.
How Cote De Pablo Started Her Career In Television
De Pablo’s first on-screen role came in the mid-1990s. In 1994, at age 15, she co-hosted episodes of Control, a Univision Spanish-language talk show, marking her television debut.
After completing her education in the United States, she returned to television as a performer in English-language series. In the early 2000s she landed small parts on various television dramas for example, she had a guest appearance on the Fox series The $treetand on The Education of Max Bickford.
She also appeared in an episode of the soap opera All My Children. In 2004 de Pablo achieved her first series lead role: she starred as Marguerite Cisneros on Fox’s short-lived courtroom drama The Jury. That show ran for 10 episodes, providing her with network television exposure.
A major early opportunity arose in 2005 when de Pablo was cast in the musical The Mambo Kingsat the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco. She was set to make her Broadway debut as the character Dolores Fuentes, but the production was canceled after the San Francisco tryout.
Two days after Mambo Kingswas closed, de Pablo received a callback for a new CBS drama pilot. She auditioned and was cast as Ziva David, an Israeli Mossad officer on the crime drama NCIS. This role on NCISwould become her breakthrough in television.
Breakthrough Role As Ziva David In NCIS
In late 2005, Cote de Pablo made her first appearance on NCISas the character Ziva David. She joined the cast of NCISin its third season, initially in a recurring capacity, and her performance quickly stood out.
The role of Ziva David a skilled, highly trained Mossad liaison officer who joins the Naval Criminal Investigative Service became a defining character. De Pablo’s confident, layered portrayal earned immediate attention from audiences and producers alike.
Within a short time, she was promoted to series regular status, becoming one of the main cast members alongside Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly. Portraying Ziva opened up wider storylines for NCIS, and de Pablo’s performance brought both emotional depth and action scenes to the show.
Her ability to do her own stunt sequences on NCIS(including fight scenes and physical action) contributed to her portrayal’s authenticity, and she even showcased her singing talent by recording a cover of Tom Waits’s song “Temptation” for an episode soundtrack.
Rise To Fame And Success On NCIS
Over the next eight years, de Pablo became one of television’s recognizable stars through NCIS. From 2005 through 2013 she portrayed Ziva David in 187 episodes of NCIS, making the character a fan favorite.
During this period, her role grew from a newcomer liaison officer to a core member of the NCIS team, and her storylines often featured intense action and personal drama. De Pablo remained in the series’ main cast through ten full seasons, leaving in 2013.
In announcing her departure, she reflected on her tenure by saying, “I’ve had eight great years with NCIS and Ziva David... I look forward to finishing Ziva’s story.” Her tenure on NCISwas marked by strong on-screen chemistry with co-stars and a wide international audience.
Producers and showrunners spoke highly of her return appearances; in 2019, when de Pablo returned for special episodes, network press described her comeback as a major, fan-anticipated event.
Career Beyond NCIS: Film, Television, And Music Work
After leaving NCIS, de Pablo expanded into both film and other television roles. In 2009 she co-starred in the western drama The Last Rites of Ransom Pridealongside Jason Priestley and Kris Kristofferson, playing a key supporting role.
In 2015 she took on a dramatic film role in The 33, a survival story set in Chile’s mining disaster, portraying the pregnant wife of one of the trapped miners. That same year she also appeared in the CBS historical miniseries The Dovekeepersas Shirah, one of the lead characters in the story of women besieged at Masada.
De Pablo continued to appear on television with other projects; for example, she was cast in the pilot Prototypefor the Syfy network in 2016 (though the series was not picked up).
In addition to acting, de Pablo pursued her interest in music. She performed a full recording of “Temptation” on the NCISofficial soundtrack, and later recorded Spanish-language songs, reflecting her musical theatre background. These projects show her versatility as both an actress and singer beyond the NCISfranchise.
Major Career Milestones And Awards
Throughout her career, Cote de Pablo has earned industry recognition for her work. Notable milestones include:
- 2006 Imagen Award (Television, Best Supporting Actress):Early in her NCISrun, de Pablo won this award for her role as Ziva David.
- 2011 ALMA Award (Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series):She was honored with this award, which recognizes achievements by Latino artists, again for her work on NCIS.
- 2016 Imagen Award (Feature Film, Best Supporting Actress):De Pablo won an Imagen Award for her role in a feature film (for Do You Believe?, a faith-based movie in which she appeared in 2015).
Career Legacy And Impact In Television Industry
De Pablo’s career has had a lasting impact on television drama. Her portrayal of Ziva David is often cited as a breakthrough for strong female characters on procedural dramas. She brought a unique mix of emotional complexity, combat skills, and charisma to the screen, which resonated with audiences and added depth to the NCISensemble.
Industry discussions of the NCIS franchise frequently note her contributions; for example, showrunners highlighted the excitement of her character’s return as a major storyline.
Off-screen, de Pablo’s advancement to a producer role on the franchise spin-off (see below) reflects her growing influence in the industry. Her work helped pave the way for more diverse casting in leading roles, and her success on an internationally popular series stands as a significant achievement for a Latina actress in American television.
Current Work, Upcoming Projects, And Professional Activities
Building on her NCIS legacy, Cote de Pablo has taken on dual roles as star and producer in the franchise’s latest expansion. In July 2024 it was announced that she would reprise her role as Ziva David opposite Michael Weatherly in a new Paramount+ series, NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
Production began that summer, with filming in Europe. In this series de Pablo serves not only as the lead actor but also as an executive producer, a first for her on-screen character. NCIS: Tony & Zivapremiered on Paramount+ in late 2025, with de Pablo’s involvement both in front of the camera and in the production team.
This project highlights her continued career momentum: she remains closely associated with the NCIS brand while expanding into production roles. As of 2026, de Pablo’s current professional focus is on this series, though she continues to explore opportunities in film and television and occasional music projects.
Cote De Pablo Net Worth
As of 2026, Cote De Pablo's net worth has not been publicly disclosed, and no figures have been officially verified by major financial authorities. Her known sources of income come from her work as an actress and singer. She is best known for portraying Special Agent Ziva David on CBS’s NCIS(and its spin-off NCIS: Tony & Ziva), and she has also contributed vocals to official soundtracks, including the NCIStelevision soundtrack. Specific details about her salary or overall earnings have not been made public.
FAQs
1. Who Is Cote De Pablo?
Cote de Pablo is a Chilean-American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Ziva David on the CBS television series NCIS.
2. Where Was Cote De Pablo Born?
She was born in Santiago, Chile, on November 12, 1979. She later moved to the United States during childhood.
3. Why Did Cote De Pablo Move To The United States?
Her family relocated to Miami, Florida, when she was around 10 years old. The move was due to her mother accepting a job with the Spanish-language network Telemundo.
4. What Is Cote De Pablo’s Educational Background?
She studied performing arts at the New World School of the Arts in Miami. She later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and Musical Theater from Carnegie Mellon University.
5. What Was Cote De Pablo’s First Television Role?
Her first television appearance was as a co-host on the Spanish-language talk show Controlin 1994. She was about 15 years old at the time.
Chloe Anderson
Author
Chloe Anderson is a passionate explorer of the world of celebrity finance, known for her keen insights and captivating storytelling. With a background in finance journalism, Chloe has a knack for unraveling the financial mysteries behind the stars.
Her journey into the fascinating realm of celebrity net worth began with a deep curiosity about how fame and fortune intersect. Chloe believes that understanding the financial lives of iconic personalities adds a unique layer of intrigue to their captivating stories.
With a commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content, Chloe takes you on a journey through the financial successes, investments, and philanthropic endeavors of influential figures. She combines her expertise in finance with her love for storytelling to create articles and features that both inform and entertain.
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