Pauley Perrette (born March 27, 1969) is an American retired actress and singer. She played Abby Sciuto in the television series '' NCIS'' from 2003 to 2018.

Early life

Perrette was born in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, and raised throughout the southern United States. She lived in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and California. In a 2011 interview with the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

, Perrette confessed her early ambitions were to work with animals, be in a

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

band, or be an

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

agent. Perrette attended

Valdosta State University Valdosta State University (VSU or Valdosta State) is a public university in Valdosta, Georgia. It is one of the four comprehensive universities in the University System of Georgia. , VSU had over 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students. VSU ...

Valdosta, Georgia Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. As of 2019, Valdosta had an estimated population of 56,457. Valdosta is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in 2021 had ...

, where she studied criminal justice, and later moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to study at the

John Jay College of Criminal Justice The John Jay College of Criminal Justice (John Jay) is a public college focused on criminal justice and located in New York City. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY). John Jay was founded as the only liberal arts ...

. In New York, she held a variety of jobs: "Not only was I bartending in the

club kid The Club Kids were a group of young New York City dance club personalities popularized by Michael Alig, James St. James, Julie Jewels, Astro Erle, Michael Tronn, DJ Keoki, and Ernie Glam in the late 1980s, and throughout the 1990s would grow to ...

s scene, with a bra and combat boots and a white

Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans * Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people * Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been ...

, but I also wore a sandwich board on roller skates passing out flyers for

Taco Bell Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, includin ...

in the Diamond District." Perrette also worked as a cook on a Manhattan dinner cruise boat.

Career

Perrette has worked in television and film, mostly doing commercials, voice-overs,

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

s and short films. She worked as a bartender in New York City. While working odd jobs in New York, she was introduced by a friend to an advertising agency director. This prompted her move to Los Angeles, where she had a variety of bit parts and made several guest appearances. She appeared as a waitress at Cafe Nervosa in the sitcom ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...

'' during season four (in the episode "Three Dates and a Break Up"), and she guest-starred in season one of '' 24''. She has made appearances in several films, including '' The Ring'' and ''

Almost Famous ''Almost Famous'' is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, and starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, and Patrick Fugit. It tells the story of a teenage journalist writing for ''Rolling Stone ...

''. In 2001, as a recurring character introduced in season two of ''

Special Unit 2 ''Special Unit 2'' is an American sci-fi/comedy television series that aired on UPN for two seasons from April 11, 2001 through February 13, 2002. The series focused upon the exploits of a top-secret Chicago police division known as Special Unit ...

'', she played Alice Cramer, the Unit's public relations person. She landed her most prominent role, that of Abby Sciuto, an eccentric forensic scientist, in '' NCIS'', a television series based on the

Naval Criminal Investigative Service The United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is the primary law enforcement agency of the U.S. Department of the Navy. Its primary function is to investigate criminal activities involving the Navy and Marine Corps, though its ...

. Perrette's initial appearances as the character were in two episodes of '' JAG'' aired in spring 2003; these served as a

backdoor pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

and introduced the characters. She has since appeared as Abby in two 2009 episodes of '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', as well as in two episodes of '' NCIS: New Orleans'' in 2014 and 2016. The character Abby Sciuto was created by Donald P. Bellisario, who "wanted to create ... a character who was seemingly an 'alternafreak', while portraying her as perhaps the smartest, most capable person on television. Not a junkie, killer, loser, or television stereotype." Perrette added some of her own "contributions" to the character, and also conferred with friend

Clint Catalyst Clint Catalyst (born April 8, 1971) is the nom de plumeho isoften brought in as a guest on TV shows when they are doing pieces on goth or alternative culture." Perrette explained that "Clint and I and our 3,000 closest friends all play together ... We've never sat around and labeled each other. Sure, there are nights when a certain event leans more towards one style than the other, but it's not like some turf war with gang colors." Like her character, Perrette has often been asked if she is goth or

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

, to which her response is "Who cares?" Consequently, she told her employers that her character is not the type to seek out a label; Abby "wouldn't call herself anything but Abby ... What she represents is a smart, capable chick that cannot be reduced to a stereotype." On October 4, 2017, ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...

'' reported that Perrette would be leaving the series at the end of the 15th season; she made her final appearance in the episode "Two Steps Back". In addition to acting, Perrette is a poet author (her

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

"Cheers..." appears in the anthology ''Pills, Thrills, Chills, and Heartache: Adventures in the First Person''). In 2007, she began production on a documentary about U.S.

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life o ...

attorney and author Mark Lane. Entitled ''Citizen Lane'', it was completed in 2013. In a 2005 interview with Craig Ferguson, then host of '' The Late Late Show'', Perrette said she has had a lifelong crime obsession. She was an undergrad student in

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...

, and criminal science. She started her

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

degree in criminal science before her career in the entertainment industry. In the January/February 2010 Performer

Q Score The Q Score (popularly known as Q-Rating) is a measurement of the familiarity and appeal of a brand, celebrity, company, or entertainment product (e.g., television show) used in the United States. The higher the Q Score, the more highly regarded the ...

, Perrette tied in the top three alongside

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

and Morgan Freeman. She was also the only woman to make the top 10. Perrette began appearing in television commercials for

Expedia.com Expedia Inc. is an online travel agency owned by Expedia Group, an American online travel shopping company based in Seattle. The website and mobile app can be used to book airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, cruise ships, and vacat ...

in late 2010. She made a guest appearance as a judge on season four, episode six of ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...

''. As of winter 2018, her Q Score was 44, giving her the highest score of all current female television actors. Perrette played the lead role as Jackie in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

sitcom '' Broke'', which aired in 2020. In May 2020, ''Broke'' was cancelled after one season. On July 7, 2020, Perrette retired from acting.

Music

Perrette recorded her song "Fear" (co-written with Tom Polce) under the name "Stop Making Friends". The song was recorded for '' NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack'' which was released on February 10, 2009. "Fear" was featured in the '' NCIS'' episode " Aliyah" (season 6 episode 25), according to the soundtrack's website. Prior to this, Perrette was the lead singer in the Los Angeles-based all-female band Lo-Ball, using the stage name "Pauley P." The song "Can't Get Me Down" by Lo-Ball is heard in the movie ''

Legally Blonde ''Legally Blonde'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic in his feature-length directorial debut, and scripted by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith from Amanda Brown's 2001 novel of the same name. It stars Reese Wit ...

''. Perrette appeared in "

The Unnamed Feeling "The Unnamed Feeling" is a song by heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on January 12, 2004, as the third single from the band's eighth studio album, ''St. Anger'' (2003). The song is about an unnamed feeling (which, according to James H ...

" video for heavy metal band Metallica from their album '' St. Anger''. In 2011, Perrette was the featured vocalist on a song called "Fire in Your Eyes" by B. Taylor, a Las Vegas-based hip-hop artist. She also sang on the 2011 single "Attention Please" by DMC.

Personal life

Perrette married Canadian actor and musician Coyote Shivers in 2000; the couple separated four years later, with their divorce becoming final in 2006. She was granted restraining orders against him, alleging that he subjected her to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse during and after their marriage. Perrette worked with '' America's Most Wanted'' in February 2004 to present the city of

Prattville, Alabama Prattville is a city located within both Autauga and Elmore counties in the State of Alabama but serves as the county seat of Autauga County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,781. Nicknamed "The Fountain City" due to t ...

, with a check for $10,000, which will be used to supplement the reward offer for information leading to the arrest of the person who killed Shannon Paulk. Paulk was from Prattville, Alabama, near where Perrette had once lived as a child. Perrette also donated $10,000 to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

law enforcement officials in 2007 to be used as a reward for information regarding the disappearance/murder of Raven Jeffries, a seven-year-old Detroit girl. (Perrette's then-partner was from Detroit.) The story originally aired on ''America's Most Wanted'' on September 8, 2007, on Fox. She also asked them for help in finding the person(s) who killed her friend, Lisa Williamson, who was murdered in 2007 after her Detroit home was set on fire. In 2009, Perrette worked with ''America's Most Wanted'' on the case of Tammy Vincent. Perrette supports many charitable organizations, including

animal rescue Animal rescue or pet rescue may refer to: * Animal rescue group, organizations dedicated to the rescue of animals, including pets, from shelters, to homes * Animal Rescue Foundation, San Francisco Bay Area based charity dedicated to pet adoption an ...

organizations, the American Red Cross, civil rights organizations, and

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, ...

organizations. Perrette opposed the

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

ballot initiative

Proposition 8 Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in cou ...

in 2008, writing a public letter in fall of that year urging votes against the measure. She is a member of the Hollywood United Methodist Church. She dated cameraman Michael Bosman for four years before their engagement; however, the two did not marry, saying they would wait until everyone can get married in the United States. They instead filed for all the legal protections that are available to same-sex couples. Bosman did not propose until the legalization of same-sex marriage in California in June 2008. The couple campaigned very publicly against 2008 California Proposition 8. Perrette and Bosman split, and in December 2011 she announced her engagement to former British

Royal Marine The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

Thomas Arklie. She had again announced that the couple would not marry until Proposition 8 is invalidated. Perrette, who is a natural blonde, was hospitalized in 2014 after "a severe

allergic reaction Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derma ...

to her haracter'strademark ink-black

air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...

color." She told CBS News in Los Angeles that her face had swollen to twice its size and warned that "anyone out there hodyes their hair, particularly black, you need to be aware of the symptoms." On November 12, 2015, Perrette was assaulted by a homeless man outside her Hollywood Hills home. Los Angeles Police arrested David Merck, 45, and charged him with suspicion of making criminal threats and felony assault. Perrette later told '' Entertainment Tonight'' that she does not blame her attacker nor does she hold ill will against him. Perrette co-owned Donna Bell's Bake Shop, named for her mother, in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, New York City. The shop closed December 2020 after nearly 10 years of business. On June 7, 2019, Perrette said she left ''NCIS'' due to an on-set dog-biting incident and alleged multiple physical assaults. She also stated that she was "terrified" of her former co-star Mark Harmon. In September 2022, Perrette revealed that she had suffered a stroke in September 2021.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *
Official account
on

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

Official channel
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

Pauley Perrette Bio at CBS - NCIS

Pauley Perrette's band Stop Making Friends
at MySpace {{DEFAULTSORT:Perrette, Pauley 1969 births 20th-century American actresses 20th-century Methodists 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American poets 21st-century American women writers 21st-century Methodists Actresses from Alabama Actresses from Georgia (U.S. state) Actresses from New Orleans Actresses from North Carolina Actresses from South Carolina Actresses from Tennessee American bloggers American women rock singers American film actresses American punk rock singers American television actresses American United Methodists American voice actresses American women bloggers American women poets John Jay College of Criminal Justice alumni LGBT rights activists from the United States Living people Poets from Georgia (U.S. state) Poets from New York (state) Singers from New York City Valdosta State University alumni Women punk rock singers