In recent times, there have been multiple revelations regarding sexual harassment against women in the entertainment industry and, among other things, it has given rise to the proliferation of intimacy coordinators on set. However, given it’s a free society, some actresses have opted not to make use of them and among that number is NCIS franchise star and NCIS: Tony & Ziva‘s Cote de Pablo. After 22 seasons on the CBS flagship series, NCIS, Pablo and co-star Michael Weatherly are set for their own franchise sequel in Tony & Ziva. de Pablo recently discussed intimacy coordinators on the set of the sequel.
“Did not need one,” de Pablo recently told TV Insider when asked about intimacy coordinators. “They asked me first, I think because I’m a female and blah, blah, blah, and I said, ‘I don’t need one. Thank you for offering.’” The upcoming series follows the NCIS fan-favorite couple, Tony and Ziva, as they begin raising their daughter in Europe. However, things will quickly turn, and they’ll be forced to go on the run in the Paramount+ action drama series. “Michael and I have a lot of trust with each other and are great friends,” de Pablo added. “So, when it comes to shooting these things we don’t want to be micromanaged. We like to explore it, and we trust each other enough that we allow that to happen.”
The role of intimacy coordinators is for the management of intimate scenes, oftentimes those of a sexual nature that could feature nudity. These professionals ensure that the actors feel comfortable while filming their scenes. Cote’s co-star, Weatherly, is well aware of how these scenes might be tricky. Echoing his co-star’s thoughts, Weatherly added, telling TV Insider, “I said, ‘Whatever Cote wants.’ Love scenes are complicated because that level of nonverbal communication — you kiss someone the way you want to be kissed or you touch someone the way you want to be touched — that is a deep level of communication. Physical interaction starts with trust. Luckily, Cote and I do not have an issue in that area. We had to do that right out of the gate in [NCIS‘s ‘Under Covers’] episode.”
What is NCIS: ‘Tony & Ziva’ About?
NCIS: Tony & Ziva takes fans on a journey across Europe, with all the action, adventure, and assassins, all rolled into one. The series will reunite the pair of de Pablo and Weatherly, after they left the flagship NCIS respectively more than a decade ago. The logline for NCIS: Tony & Ziva is as follows:
After Ziva’s apparent death, Tony raises their daughter, Tali. Years later, Ziva returns and reunites with Tony. Tony’s company is attacked, and the family travels to Europe, trying to learn who’s after them and to trust each other again.
The first season of NCIS: Tony & Ziva will play out across ten episodes, with both de Pablo and Weatherly serving as executive producers on the show. The series signifies Weatherly’s first major series regular role since CBS’ Bull, which ran for six seasons between 2016 and 2022. Weatherly was accused of sexual harassment by co-star Eliza Dushku during the course of the Bull’s run with Dushku receiving a $9.5 million settlement from CBS.
NCIS: Tony & Ziva premieres on September 4 on Paramount+. Stay with Collider for the latest updates.
