Cote de Pablo: Ziva could return to 'NCIS'

PASADENA, Calif. – Cote de Pablo left NCIS in 2013, but that doesn't necessarily mean a permanent goodbye for her popular character, former Mossad operative Ziva David.

A return visit is possible "under the right circumstances," de Pablo said after a panel presentation for her upcoming CBS miniseries, The Dovekeepers (March 31 and April 1, 9 p.m. ET/PT), at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Monday.

"I think the fact they never killed the character off is very telling," she said.

The actress felt her character's departure after eight seasons was "rushed" but she was pleased that her final scene was with Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo. Fans loved the interaction between the two NCIS agents, who said goodbye with a passionate kiss on an airport tarmac.

"I think it was rushed. I like a little kind of closure," said de Pablo, who made the decision to leave the hit drama. "I think, all in all, I could not be more blessed, because I got to be with my love, Michael. And, any time you have scenes with Michael and I together, there's going to be a spark and there's going to be real honesty. For that, I am forever grateful because there was a sense of conclusion as far as what they felt for each other."

De Pablo has "no second thoughts" about her decision to leave NCIS. Besides Dovekeepers, she also has a role in The 33, a film about a Chilean mine disaster that also features Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche.

"I'm very happy with my choices. I spend time with family, which I think is incredibly important for me. I've had time to deal with me. I couldn't really deal with me for a long time," she said.

The actress didn't realize she will be in NCIS' neighborhood sooner than she expected. Her upcoming miniseries premieres on a Tuesday after NCIS' time slot, Dovekeepers executive producer Roma Downey said.

"Really?" a surprised de Pablo responded.