Writers for NCIS: Los Angeles knew Daniela Ruah was an incredible dancer, so they made her talent a big part of an episode.
But Ruah used another activity to rid herself of her baby weight. Kensi on NCIS: Los Angeles is a terrific agent who can do anything, but she’s never been a mom. Ruah is the mother of two — son River is 7 and daughter, Sierra, who is 4.
In an interview with Parade magazine in 2017, a reporter asked Ruah if she used dance to lose weight.
“Funnily enough, no, I can’t say it is,” the NCIS: Los Angeles star said. “Do I dance at home? Sure. Sometimes my son and I will prance around the house and dance. He responds to music so wonderfully, but I wouldn’t say it is something that brought me back into shape.
“I didn’t do any (dance) classes,” Ruah said. “I wish I had. It was mostly gym work with a personal trainer, jogging, working out with the kids, and eating healthily.”
Ruah has danced most of her life. She started when she was 5, back when her family moved from Boston to Portugal. She majored in dance when she attended London Metropolitan University.
NCIS: Los Angeles Used Ruah’s Dancing Skills in Havana with Love
Back in 2007, two years before she earned her role on NCIS: Los Angeles, Ruah won Danca Comigo, which was Portugal’s version of Dancing with the Stars. She already was famous in Portugal, having started acting on soap operas there when she was 16.
Back in April, 2017, dancing became a plotline in NCIS: Los Angeles when she went undercover in From Havana with Love. The team investigated a defense contractor and whether she is selling Navy secrets. The defense contractor’s husband works at a Cuban-themed nightclub.
Kensi pretended to be a professional dancer to keep an eye on who is coming into the club. Meanwhile, Deeks, her partner, joins her undercover and works the club as a bathroom attendant.
“It was one of the most fun times I had shooting an episode,” Ruah told Parade. “I get to dance, I get to fight and I get to do some comedy.”
And Deeks, played by Eric Christian Olsen, doesn’t dance.
“There are actually three segments in the episode in which I dance and he was there for all three of them,” said Ruah of her NCIS: Los Angeles co-star. “He was a part of the scenes in which I am dancing. He is very supportive, actually. (And) he knows I love dance.”
CBS picked up NCIS: Los Angeles for a 13th season. While the show was on hiatus, Ruah traveled to Portugal to direct her first film. She already directed an episode of her show earlier this season.
Want to check out how well Ruah can dance? Here’s a clip of Ruah performing the Paso Doble at the Portuguese reality competition.
