Daniela Ruah
Ruah at the 2012 Monte-Carlo Television Festival
Born
Daniela Sofia Korn Ruah

(1983-12-02) December 2, 1983
Boston, Massachusetts, US
CitizenshipAmerican, Portuguese
Occupations
  • Actress
  • director
Years active2000–present
Spouse
David Paul Olsen
​
(m. 2014)​
Children2
RelativesEric Christian Olsen (brother-in-law)
Sarah Wright (sister-in-law)

Daniela Sofia Korn Ruah (born December 2, 1983)[1] is an American-Portuguese actress and film director best known for playing NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye in the CBS police procedural series NCIS: Los Angeles.

Early life

Ruah was born in Boston, U.S., to Jewish parents from Portugal, where her mother is an otologist and her father is an ENT surgeon.[2] When Ruah was 5, the family moved back to Portugal,[2] where she attended St Julian's School and, at 16, began acting in telenovelas.[3] She won a Portuguese-television dance competition.[2]

Ruah moved to the UK at the age of 18 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in performing arts from London Metropolitan University.[4] She returned to Portugal where she continued acting, and in 2007 moved to New York City to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[4]

Ruah stated that she grew up in an environment that was both Sephardic and Ashkenazi;[2] her father is of Portuguese-Jewish ancestry, and her mother's Jewish roots are in Russia, Ukraine and Portugal.[5] She holds both Portuguese and American citizenship.

Career

Ruah started acting in Portuguese soap operas when she was a teen. She made her acting debut at 16, when she played Sara on the soap opera Jardins Proibidos ("Forbidden Gardens").[6]

At 18, Ruah moved to London to attend college. After graduation, she returned to Portugal to pursue her acting career. She was the winner of the celebrity dancing competition Dança Comigo (the Portuguese version of Dancing with the Stars)[2][7] and got main roles in television series, short films, and theatre.[8] In 2007, she moved to New York to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[8]

Ruah starred as Special Agent Kensi Blye in NCIS: Los Angeles, which first aired on September 22, 2009. In 2011, she portrayed the character in a crossover guest appearance on the series Hawaii Five-0.[9]

In 2013, Ruah appeared in David Auburn's play Proof at Los Angeles' Hayworth Theatre.[10]

On January 8, 2018, it was confirmed that Ruah would co-host the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal alongside Catarina Furtado, Sílvia Alberto and Filomena Cautela.[11][12]

Personal life

Ruah has a distinguishable birthmark in her right eye, called the nevus of Ota.[3]

Ruah married David Olsen, the older brother and stunt double of Ruah's NCIS: Los Angeles co-star Eric Christian Olsen, in an interfaith ceremony in 2014. Olsen is Lutheran.[5][13][14] They have 2 children, a son, River Isaac Ruah Olsen (born December 2013),[15][16] and a daughter, Sierra Esther Ruah Olsen (born September 2016).[17][18]

Filmography

Films
Year Title Role Notes
2012 Red Tails Sofia
Brave Merida European Portuguese Version
Animated Film
Short Films
Year Title Role Notes
2006 Canaviais Margarida Portuguese short film
2008 Blind Confession Woman
2009 Safe Haven Angela Bowery
Midnight Passion Sophie
2011 Tu & Eu Sophie Asians on Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast – Short Film
2016 Excuse Brenda
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2000–2001 Jardins Proibidos Sara Main Cast
Portuguese soap opera broadcast by TVI
2001 Filha do Mar Constança Valadas
Querida Mãe Zezinha Portuguese television film broadcast by SIC
Elsa, Uma Mulher Assim Mónica Portuguese miniseries broadcast by RTP
Season 1, Episode 11
2004 Inspector Max Verónica Botelho Portuguese TV series broadcast by TVI
1 episode, "Marcas do Passado"
2005–2006 Dei-te Quase Tudo Rita Cruz Main Cast
Portuguese soap opera broadcast by TVI
2006 Dança Comigo Herself Portuguese version of Dancing with the Stars broadcast by RTP
Winner of the first season
2006–2007 Tu e Eu Daniela Pinto Main Cast
Portuguese soap opera broadcast by TVI
2008 Casos da Vida Rita Portuguese TV series broadcast by TVI
1 episode, "Passo em Falso"
2009 Guiding Light Gigi Season 1, Episode 15628
NCIS Kensi Blye 2 pilot episodes: "Legend"
She was part of a guest cast including Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J, Barrett Foa, Peter Cambor and Louise Lombard
2009–2023 NCIS: Los Angeles Series regular, 277 episodes
Golden Globe Award (Portugal) for Newcomer of the Year
TV Action Icon Award 2011 of Celebrity & Stuntwomen's Awards
Nominated-Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Action Actress.[19]
2011 Hawaii Five-0 Crossover with NCIS: Los Angeles
Episode: "Ka Hakaka Maika'i"
2018 Eurovision Song Contest 2018 Herself Hostess
2020 A Espia Maria João Mascarenhas Main Cast

Portuguese miniseries broadcast by RTP

2023 The Traitors Herself Host
2023 Turn of the Tide[20] Fátima Supporting cast
Portuguese thriller series from Netflix

References

  1. ↑ "Daniela Ruah profile". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Henerson, Evan (November 8, 2012). "Film Fest celebrates Sephardim". Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Sancton, Julian (August 8, 2011). "Daniela Ruah Officially Checks In". Esquire. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Hollywood movie and major LA pilot for London Met graduate". London Metropolitan University. October 19, 2009. Archived from the original on October 24, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Miller, Gerri (August 28, 2014). "NCIS: Los Angeles' Daniela Ruah on Interfaith Marriage and Motherhood". InterfaithFamily.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  6. ↑ "IMDB Daniela Ruah". IMDb. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  7. ↑ Gostin, Nicki (February 29, 2012). "Meet the 'NCIS:LA' star who won 'Dancing' in another country". CNN. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  8. 1 2 Ventura, Maria Ana (November 1, 2011). "Daniela Ruah – Shoot for the stars". UP Magazine. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
  9. ↑ Gonzalez, Sandra (September 7, 2011). "'NCIS: LA' exec producer spills on Kensi's trip to 'Hawaii Five-0', possibility of another crossover". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
  10. ↑ King, Susan (May 7, 2013). "The Whitmore family will never grow out of this stage". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Quatro mulheres apresentam Festival Eurovisão da Canção em Lisboa". RTP Notícias (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Here come the girls! Presenters of Eurovision 2018 revealed!". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  13. ↑ Frith, Vanessa (June 19, 2014). "'NCIS: LA' Daniela Ruah & David Olsen Marry". Enstarz.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  14. ↑ Ruah, Daniela [@DanielaRuah] (June 22, 2014). "Just lived the best week of my life; I married my best friend. [...]" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2016 – via Twitter.
  15. ↑ Rizzo, Monica (September 16, 2013). "Baby Boy on the Way for Daniela Ruah". People. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  16. ↑ Michaud, Sarah; Gomez, Patrick (January 5, 2014). "Daniela Ruah Welcomes Son River Isaac". People. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  17. ↑ Ruah, Daniela (September 7, 2016). "Apparently she thought Labor Day weekend [...]". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. On September 4th we welcomed little Miss Sierra Esther Ruah Olsen!
  18. ↑ Kimble, Lindsay; Michaud, Sarah (September 7, 2016). "Daniela Ruah Welcomes Daughter Sierra Esther". People. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  19. ↑ Soll, Lindsay (June 14, 2010). "Teen Choice Awards 2010: First Round Of Nominees Announced". MTV. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Rabo de Peize". moviepilot.de (in German). Retrieved June 24, 2023.

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