Hereโs a polished, feature-ready rewrite of your NCIS: Tony & Ziva article:
Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo Reunite as Tony and Ziva in NCIS Spinoff
Over a decade after last appearing together on NCIS, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo have returned to their beloved roles in the long-awaited spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva. The pair, who starred alongside each other for eight seasons on the original series, tell PEOPLE that the chemistry fans adored off-screen has seamlessly carried over into their characters.
Improvisation and Real-Life Banter Bring Characters to Life
Weatherly, 57, credits their enduring dynamic to years of shared experience.
โThatโs what I love so much about working with Cote,โ he says. โSometimes the next line out of my mouth isnโt in the scriptโโI have no response to that,โ or โI donโt know what to say.โ But it ends up in the show because thatโs exactly how Tony would respond to Ziva. She has his number, and he has hers.โ
De Pablo, 45, echoes the sentiment, noting that much of their interplay is spontaneous and unscripted. Both actors praise the directors for trusting them to improvise and for allowing their natural energy to shape scenes.
Creating a Collaborative Set
Filming the spinoff introduced Weatherly and Pablo to a new cast, and they worked to cultivate a fun, lively environment.
โWe would all mess with each other,โ Weatherly says.
โYou have to fun it up,โ adds de Pablo with a grin.
Weatherly recalls one particularly memorable unscripted moment: a scene where Nassima Benchicouโs Martine held a gun to Tonyโs neck.
โIt wasnโt in the script,โ he explains. โI was like, โWhat are we doing? What are we doing with the gun?โ But it perfectly captured the tension between Tony and Martine, and everyone was game for it.โ
He emphasizes that moments like these, where the line between acting and improvisation blurs, are possible only through trust and collaboration among the cast and crew.
A Beautiful Sequel
Weatherly notes that the spinoff thrives not only on the returning chemistry of Tony and Ziva but also on the fresh energy brought by the new ensemble.
โThey may be less familiar with the characters, but they always bring their own energy and light to the story,โ he says.
Fans can now stream the first three episodes of NCIS: Tony & Ziva on Paramount+, with new episodes dropping every Thursday leading up to the season finale on October 23, 2025.
If you want, I can also combine this with your other NCIS spin-off coverage into a single, punchy โall you need to knowโ feature for fans. Do you want me to do that?
