When Pauley Perrette announced she was done with acting, she truly meant it. The former NCIS star, best known for her role as forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on the CBS hit, recently opened up to Hello! about her decision to leave the spotlight. Reflecting on her time in Hollywood, she shared, “I’m not ungrateful for the benefits that acting brought me, but I’m a different person now. I want to be fully present for the ups and downs of life.” She added, “It takes courage, but this is who I am, and it’s authentically how I feel.”

Perrette’s journey in acting spanned over a decade, with early roles in The Drew Carey Show, Veronica’s Closet, Almost Famous, and Time of Your Life. In 2003, she joined NCIS and captivated fans as Abby for 15 seasons and 352 episodes. However, her departure in 2018 came amid reported conflicts. Perrette later shared that she had felt unsafe around co-star Mark Harmon due to an incident involving his dog. According to The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson later clarified that Perrette, a passionate advocate for animal safety, was uncomfortable with Harmon’s dog continuing to be present on set after it bit someone. Eventually, she decided it was time to move on.

Following NCIS, Perrette starred in the CBS series Broke, which was canceled after one season. She then announced her retirement from acting, choosing instead to focus on personal passions and advocacy. She also worked as an executive producer on Studio One Forever, a documentary on the iconic L.A. gay nightclub. Her move to documentary work aligns with her current pursuit of truth and authenticity, a shift she describes as deeply meaningful.

“At this point in my life, I need authenticity in everything,” Perrette explained. “Acting was once a powerful escape—a way to be someone without my own problems. Now, I’m focused on living a life that’s real and true, 100 percent of the time.”