Pauley Perrette Reveals Major Changes She Made to Abby Sciuto on NCIS
After 22 years, NCIS continues to be a fan favorite, largely thanks to the impact of Abby Sciuto, portrayed by Pauley Perrette. In a rare interview with HELLO!, Pauley shared how she took an active role in shaping Abby’s character from the very beginning.
Reflecting on her early days on the show, Pauley recalled a moment that left her horrified. “In one of the first episodes, there was a really dirty joke, and I didn’t understand it at all. I was mortified—not just because of my naivete, but because I just told a filthy joke on camera, and it’s just not what I do,” she explained. “At that moment, I realized that’s not who Abby was meant to be. The writers initially wanted her to be saucy and sexual, but I insisted, ‘No, there’s a better way to do this.’ That’s when I began to see the power of her being good.”
Pauley, 55, first made her television debut in the early 1990s, but it was her role on NCIS from 2003 to 2018 that catapulted her to mainstream fame. Despite leaving the show after Season 15 amid reports of tensions with Mark Harmon, who played Leroy Gibbs, Pauley has remained active in her career, now producing and directing documentaries, including Studio One Forever, which tells the untold story of a historic disco that served as a beacon of hope for men in the 1970s and 1980s.
Since her departure, she has kept in touch with co-stars like Brian Dietzen. However, Pauley emphasizes that her greatest takeaway from NCIS is the lasting impact Abby had on young women. “My character became incredibly popular internationally, and I’m proud of that. I knew Abby had the potential to be a wonderful role model for young girls,” she said.
“I love that she was this alternative girl who still bowls with nuns and goes to church. We normalized someone who looks a bit different from others. That was the greatest takeaway from being on NCIS—the colossal effect Abby has had on young girls.”
Pauley refers to this phenomenon as the “Abby Effect,” noting that thousands of young women have pursued careers in math, science, and forensics because of her character. “I feel immense pride and gratitude for that. These are the things that not only change lives but also change the world when we empower women in fields like math and science.”
