From the small screen to "Eurovision's" stage to the director's chair, Daniela
Ruah's career has a bit of everything ... and so does her heartwarming family life.
Hollywood is a melting pot of many stars from different countries, cultures, and upbringings.
Daniela Ruah is the combination of it all as she was born in Boston to Jewish parents,
raised in Portugal, and went to college in the U.K. and the U.S.
Speaking to Esquire about Portugal, she said:
Although in the same interview she denied being the face of Portugal,
that is where her career started and people still recognize her when she walks down the
street. She has had some very exciting and emotional encounters while being there.
She recounted one of these moments to Esquire, saying:
She takes pride in her culture and mentioned to Esquire that even though
Portuguese people can be loud, they aren't aggressive. In her opinion,
quote, "a Portuguese is not going to punch you for no reason."
Some celebrities start their careers in theater or commercials. But that wasn't
the route Daniela Ruah took. Rather, she told Esquire that at the young age of 16,
she began acting in telenovelas in Portugal. The actress was still in
school when she began her acting journey and had no idea what would come next.
Although she was very young, Ruah was able to pursue her dreams because she
had, as she told Yahoo, her parents' support. She gushed:
In 2012, as she celebrated the success of "NCIS: LA," Ruah looked back on her past, recalling how
she'd needed to balance both work and school at a very young age. She told Backstage:
Her role as Special Agent Kensi Blye on "NCIS: Los Angeles" was Daniela Ruah's first
job in the U.S., as she explained in an interview on "The Jeff Probst Show."
However, it wasn't the immense popularity of the "NCIS" franchise that attracted her
to the show she's been on for over a decade. It was the role. She explained to Backstage:
It is her connection to the character that has made her a fan-favorite in
the franchise — along with her chemistry with her co-stars. As she told TV Fanatic:
The cast of "NCIS: Los Angeles" appears to have created a bond beyond the screen.
However, Daniela Ruah is closest to co-star Eric Christian Olsen as she is married to his
stunt double and brother, David Paul Olsen. Eric Christian Olsen told Queen Latifah that
right before the couple got together, that they were both dating awful people. He explained:
"He came on to do stunts, I would say something nice about her to him
and then say something to him about her. That was enough to kinda get
them started in conversation and it became this wonderful relationship."
In 2014, the actor announced her marriage in a tweet:
Ruah and her husband had a
son before they tied the knot, but that isn't where the family stopped growing.
At the time of this video, they are a happy family of four after their daughter joined the team.
As a working mom, however, raising a family comes with its challenges,
and Ruah has occasionally reminded her followers on Instagram by sharing
details of her personal life with her children. She captioned one of her photos:
As an interfaith marriage raising two kids, Ruah shared with 18 Doors advice
that she learned from watching other family members in interfaith marriages.
She told the outlet:
For those who may not know, Eurovision is a song contest that takes place in Europe — hence the
name — and hosting it is a pretty big deal. In 2018, Ruah joined three other Portuguese
celebrities — specifically, Silvia Alberto, Catarina Furtado, and Filomena Cautela — as hosts.
After Portugal's 2017 win, it was Daniela Ruah's
husband who encouraged her to put her name on the list to become the host.
Although she thought it was improbable, she gave her agent a call. She told Billboard:
Even though Ruah knows how important Eurovision is, in America, it might be harder for people
to grasp its reach as not many are familiar with the competition. According to the actress,
Americans who work in the entertainment industry don't understand the scope of the
competition until she reveals how enormous its audience really is. She explained:
Not content with limiting her TV career to performing and hosting "Eurovision,"
Daniela Ruah wanted to try something new — so she took on the role of director. In 2022,
she directed five episodes of "NCIS: Los Angeles."
Co-star and brother-in-law Eric Christian Olsen told ET Online:
Even though Olsen praised her, Ruah didn't shy away from telling
The Herald News how challenging this experience was for her. She admitted: