Cote de Pablo Talks About the Challenges of Returning as Ziva – The actress, beloved by NCIS fans for her fierce yet vulnerable portrayal of Ziva David, opened up about what it truly meant to step back into the character’s shoes after years away. Her return brought both excitement and anxiety, as she had to reconnect with Ziva’s emotional core while honoring how much the character—and the show—had evolved in her absence. De Pablo admitted that embodying Ziva again was “like meeting an old friend