For more than 15 seasons, Pauley Perrette was inseparable from NCIS. As Abby Sciuto, the gothic, caffeine-fueled forensic scientist, she became the emotional heartbeat of the series and one of the most recognizable characters in modern television. Yet when Perrette stepped away from the show in 2018, it marked not just the end of an era — but the beginning of a far more private chapter in her life.
Unlike many long-running TV stars, Perrette didn’t chase another procedural or high-profile franchise. After a brief return to television with the sitcom Broke, she made a rare and deliberate decision: to retire from acting altogether. For Perrette, the move wasn’t about fading away, but about reclaiming control. She shifted her focus toward philanthropy, animal rights activism, and disaster relief — causes she had supported quietly for years while working on NCIS.
