NCIS star Cote de Pablo has opened up about a touching behind-the-scenes moment with her co-star Michael Weatherly during the filming of a memorable scene.

Cote de Pablo, who played Ziva on NCIS, shared how Michael Weatherly “protected” her during an intimate moment on set.

Devoted viewers of the hit CBS show NCIS have always adored the dynamic between Ziva David (portrayed by Cote de Pablo) and Tony DiNozzo (played by Michael Weatherly), whose onscreen flirtations eventually turned into an offscreen romance, much to the delight of fans.

Anticipation is high for the beloved duo’s return in the upcoming spin-off NCIS: Tiva, slated to premiere next year on Paramount+.

In preparation for their onscreen reunion, de Pablo and Weatherly have teamed up for a podcast titled Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, where they reminisce about their experiences on the show.

During the podcast, the actors delve into behind-the-scenes stories from their time on NCIS, with de Pablo recalling a particular incident from season three.

In the eighth episode, “Under Covers,” Ziva and Tony pose as a married couple, which leads to a staged kiss and feigned lovemaking to deceive suspects.

It was during the lead-up to this scene that de Pablo praised Weatherly’s thoughtfulness on the podcast, recounting: “Well, I just remember this particular moment showing up the set, and then you were so worried about how you smelled”, speaking directly to Weatherly.

The actress recalled: “I remember this because I remember it was very cute. I remember thinking: ‘Oh my God, he really cares’.

“And you’re like: ‘Oh, is this OK? Is this deodorant OK?’

“And I was like: ‘Oh my God! ‘ I kind of loved you because we’re going to be having these very intimate [scenes]… and I’m saying it like you were very considerate and you were like: ‘Did you like this deodorant? ‘.

“You were very sincere about this particular exploration of intimacy between these two characters… And I remember thinking: ‘Michael, you always smell great, that’s not a problem.'”

De Pablo went on to add that her co-star also ensured that she looked good on camera as well during the intimate scene.

She continued: “You did something that was so kind, which is you grabbed my hair and you were holding onto my head, and you lifted me ever so slightly so I was in a good angle so that I looked good.

“I remember thinking: ‘What is he doing? ‘ Because I wasn’t used to that.

“I was used to doing stuff on in the theatre or whatever where you’re not really thinking about those things.

“Like weight, the angle and is going to be flattering and am I going to see a double chin or whatever?

“And you were just very much aware of that, and without me knowing, you were protecting me. You were making sure that I was looking good.”