What NCIS' Cote De Pablo Looked Like When She Was Younger

Actor Cote de Pablo (née María José de Pablo Fernández) is perhaps best known for her role as Ziva David, an Israeli special agent, in the action-drama series, "NCIS." But make no mistake about it, de Pablo is careful to never forget her strong Chilean roots.

"The things I miss most about Chile are my family and my friends," de Pablo told Latina magazine in 2013 about her adorable and arguably idyllic childhood. Aside from missing her loved ones, however, is her longing for the delicious food she grew up enjoying. "Best thing about being a kid in Chile, I have to say, is the two month summers that we would spend at the beach uninterrupted having really fantastic meals. My favorite thing in the summer is to have all the fruits, best fruits in the world, and all of the salads in the world because the vegetables and fruits are so great. The soil is so fertile and so wonderful," she gushed.

Still, learning to live without sharing authentic Chilean meals with her loved ones was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the growing pains she experienced after making the move to America — some of which occurred while she was honing her craft.

"NCIS" star Cote de Pablo immigrated to America from her native country of Chile when she was only ten years old and while she quickly made a name for herself in showbiz, it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine for the aspiring actor. 

According to de Pablo, following her big move to Miami from Chile, she used drama and acting classes as a way to strengthen her vocabulary but that didn't always turn out how she hoped. "I remember, I was on stage in a scene and something happened, and I called somebody a 'b*****d' and my teacher took me offstage, gave me detention," she recalled in an interview with Carnegie Mellon Today about the incident. "I said to myself, 'There's something very wrong with this class. ...People must express themselves on stage and have to be able to get it all out there.' I knew I just needed to find the proper class," she continued. While this certainly doesn't seem like a fun experience at the time, it sure does make for a funny anecdote later in life. 

De Pablo eventually went on land her own Spanish talk show and attend Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "I said, 'That's my school, that's where I'm going," de Pablo remembered of her unwavering determination to make good on the goal she set out for herself. And the rest is simply history for the talented thespian!

Cote de Pablo has come a long way from her days as an adorable child, but aesthetically speaking not much has changed — some of which could be due to her health and beauty regimen. 

"I drink water — a lot of water — and I think that's really important!" de Pablo told Latina magazine in 2013 when asked about her health and beauty tips. But that's not all. "Conditioner! The most important thing for my hair because I'm curly is conditioner," she declared emphatically. 

As for her strong and healthy physique that she undoubtedly used during her days on "NCIS," de Pablo says it's all about balance. "I have a pretty good diet but I also indulge in my fun and that usually comes when I travel and it usually comes when I'm with my family," she confessed. "My mother is a fantastic cook so anything is fun with her in the kitchen because she is the kind of person that will open up the refrigerator and will see what's inside and with nothing but scraps of whatever you can find she'll make a fantastic meal. She cooks with heart but most of all with imagination so cooking with her is always fun."