Cote de Pablo Thought Michael Weatherly Was “Sabotaging” Her ‘NCIS’ Audition: Here’s Why
Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly, while on NCIS together, boasted quite the slow-boiling romance as Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo respectively. One of the longest will-they-wont-they narrative arcs in all of television history, their relationship oozed with chemistry, so much so that many felt it indicated a secret behind-the-scenes romance. However, both have since confirmed that they are, and always have been, just friends.
While Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly are quite close today and will be executive producing MIA together, their relationship got off to quite the bumpy start. Cote de Pablo explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that her screen test with Weatherly did not go down without a hiccup, and she felt a lurking sense that a “sabotage” mission was in the works.
Admitting to Entertainment Weekly that she and Weatherly “hated each other immediately,” Cote de Pablo goes on to explain the assumptions both parties came to the table with. Weatherly assumed Pablo would be hard to work with, while Pablo assumed Weatherly would be the most “unprofessional” co-star. Cote de Pablo then goes on to explain the details concerning her audition.
Cote de Pablo talks auditioning for Ziva David
Cote de Pablo explained to Entertainment Weekly that, from the get-go, Michael Weatherly was an unpredictable actor to work across from. Cote de Pablo stated:
“During the audition, he grabbed my hair. He would not follow the lines. He totally went off script and started improvising, and this was my final audition with the heads of CBS. I thought, This guy is sabotaging my audition.”
Pablo goes on to explain that, in that very moment, she knew what she had to do: show Weatherly up. She told EW that she thought, “I’ll show him,” before proceeding to slap his hand away when he attempted to touch her.
Cote de Pablo stated, “that relationship [the Ziva-DiNozzo dynamic] was established the moment that [they] met.” She told the interviewer since then, “nothing has changed, it was just enhanced.”
Cote de Pablo explained that she and Weatherly loved each other as well, stating, “We realized we’re so drastically different and so much alike that there was an immediate attraction.” And from 2005 until Cote de Pablo’s departure from the series in 2013, all fans were able to sense that attraction.
Now that Cote de Pablo has returned to ‘NCIS,’ will Michael Weatherly reprise his role as DiNozzo?
Since Cote de Pablo appeared in the final moments of the NCIS season sixteen finale, fans have taken to the internet asking whether Weatherly will return. Weatherly is currently working on Bull; thus, it’s unlikely that he will return to NCIS in any large capacity.
Given the chemistry between Pablo and Weatherly, bringing Weatherly back to the series may boost the show’s ratings even further through the roof; however, considering Weatherly’s schedule for this upcoming year is rather packed, anything more than a brief cameo seems unlikely.
If CBS wants to capitalize on the fans’ obsession with Tony and Ziva (lovingly called “Tiva”), they will write a spin-off, focusing on their relationship, scheduled to release sometime in 2021 or later. A story focusing on their relationship, their daughter, and the struggles associated with managing marriage, lies, secrets, and danger will definitely be enough to pique viewers’ interests.
