Ziva David זיוה דוד | |
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NCIS character | |
![]() Ziva David in the Season 3 episode, "Silver War". | |
First appearance | "Kill Ari (Part I)" (3.01) September 20, 2005 |
Created by | Donald P. Bellisario |
Portrayed by | Cote de Pablo Gabi Coccio (teenage Ziva; flashbacks only) |
Voiced by | Erin Bennett (NCIS: The Video Game)[1] |
In-universe information | |
Gender | Female |
Occupation | NCIS Special Agent Mossad Liaison Officer Mossad operative, control officer Soldier in the Israeli Army |
Family | Eli David (father, deceased) Rivka David (mother, deceased) Ari Haswari (paternal half brother, deceased) Tali David (sister, deceased)[2] |
Significant other | Anthony DiNozzo |
Children | Tali (daughter; with Anthony DiNozzo) |
Religion | Jewish |
Nationality | Israeli American |
Career at NCIS | |
Position | Special Agent (seasons 7–11) Mossad Liaison Officer (seasons 3–7) |
Rank | Junior field agent Probationary field agent season 7 |
Years of Service | c. 2005–2013 |
Ziva David (/ˈziːvə dəˈviːd/; Hebrew: זיוה דוד, pronounced [ˈziva daˈvid], feminine form of Ziv: "Radiance"; birth date November 12, 1982, Beersheba in the Negev desert of southern Israel)[2][3] is a fictional character from the CBS television series NCIS, portrayed by actress Cote de Pablo. Ziva first appeared in the season 3 premiere episode, "Kill Ari (Part 1)", and became a regular cast member from the episode "Silver War". She replaced Caitlin "Kate" Todd (Sasha Alexander), who was killed at the hands of Ziva's half-brother, Ari Haswari (Rudolf Martin), in the season 2 finale. Following the onscreen death of the character's father in season 10, Gabi Coccio recurrently portrayed a young Ziva in flashbacks.
Ziva is introduced to the show as an Israeli citizen, an agent of the Kidon unit of the Mossad, a daughter of Mossad Director Eli David, and a friend of NCIS Director Jenny Shepard. She was assigned to NCIS as a liaison officer in an arrangement between Eli and Jenny, a position she held for four years until she returned to Mossad in the season 6 finale, "Aliyah". After being captured by terrorists in Somalia while on assignment for Mossad and presumed dead, she was eventually saved by Gibbs, Tony, and McGee, who brought her back to America.[4] These events led to her resigning from Mossad, applying to become an NCIS agent, and being sworn in as a U.S. citizen.[4]
On July 10, 2013, CBS television studios announced that Cote de Pablo would be leaving NCIS during season 11.[5] That fall, De Pablo appeared in two episodes as a series regular to wrap up her character's storyline. In season 13, Ziva was apparently killed off screen,[6] though executive producer and show runner Gary Glasberg suggested that she might still be alive.[7] In season 16, Ziva was confirmed to still be alive, and De Pablo returned in season 17 as a guest star for several episodes.
Outside of fiction, the cultural impact of Ziva became a subject of discussion among various critics, with academics and rabbis weighing in on the matter. Newspapers such as The Jerusalem Post cited her as the only full-time Israeli character on an American mainstream network television show,[8] and Harvard preceptor Eitan Kensky identified her as the "most prominent televisual Israeli" in the United States.[9] Her depiction was generally praised for exposing the Western public to Israeli society and culture,[10] its positive portrayal of an Israeli, and its "cheerleading for American ties to Israel".[11] The role made de Pablo the second most popular actress on U.S. primetime television in 2013, according to Q Score,[12] and a 2013 study by E-Poll Market Research listed her among the top 10 most appealing celebrities in America.[13]
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Yahoo
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).DiNozzo: "What do we know? What are the facts? 'Cause we don't assume, we verify. Do we know she's dead? 'Cause if we know she's dead, we're gonna get him." Gibbs: "Yeah, she's dead, and we will get Kort."
Jerusalem Post
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).