On a warm winter afternoon – the kind that makes thousands flock to sunny California – in a Hollywood studio, Pauley Perrette poses effortlessly, beautiful in the harsh overhead sun. That the brunette actress has held fans and audiences enthralled ever since she first appeared in 2003 as Goth forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on the global TV sensation NCIS, is no surprise.
In fact, mention that the actress has been voted America’s favourite primetime TV star and she exclaims, “I tied with Tom Hanks and Morgan Freeman for number one celebrity… period.” However, she doesn’t take on an air of entitlement. “Gosh, no, I just think it’s fun and okay, I’m going to continue working.”
UNDER SCRUTINY
Despite a decade as an actor, with hair colours that have ranged from green to fire-engine red and her natural blond, Perrette says the number one change in becoming a global star is having to remember you’re always going to be scrutinized.
“Gee, should I comb my hair before I go to the drugstore?” she says in her husky voice, and then laughs. “Someone could take a picture of me after I’ve just rolled out of bed and claim I look like I’m doing drugs, and all I’m doing is going out to buy some face soap and baby oil – that’s my skincare routine. Simple enough. I never had to think of these silly things of how I look before. So now I glance in the mirror before I go out the door.”
Yet the Southern-bred, former model with porcelain skin credits her faith and a myriad of friends in keeping her grounded. “I’m an extremely careful person and think about things instead of making rash decisions,” Perrette states. “I’m definitely a thinker; however, a lot of my thought process also comes from listening to my faith, the universe – that ethereal listening. I really try to live a life without regret. Not that I succeed all the time, yet I’ve been pretty good at it.”
JUST BREATHE
All her life, Perrette has learned through being naturally spiritual, and recently she has started to believe in fate and destiny. “I’ve come to believe in that more and more now,” she says. “It’s that we don’t have the foresight to know why things are happening as they are, when they are, how they are. We’re not supposed to. For me, I’ve learned time and again, just breathe and it will make sense.”
What doesn’t hold logic for Perrette is the cruelty man inflicts upon man or the inequality in this world. To that end, one of her tattoos on the side of a finger is a token to the bible verse: “Never be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”
NEVER BE SILENT
“That is my mantra of sorts,” Perrette says. “I’m always trying to live my life in a no-negativity zone. I will never, ever be silent about any kind of inequality that I see.” Other tattoos include two stick-angel figures on each shoulder blade, representing her mother and grandmother as guardian angels, and various dates inked on her forearms.
Born in New Orleans, raised in Alabama, Perrette moved to New York City to study at John Jay School of Criminal Science, and held down several jobs to make ends meet. Her fascination with human behaviour through studying psychology, sociology and criminal science began at an early age.
“I started thinking about humanity and the human experience in my early teens,” she remembers. “It was like, okay you’re here on Planet Earth, life is strange and it can be extremely difficult when things leave our control, like natural disasters, horrific car accidents or disease. We just have to figure out a way to navigate around some pretty terrible things, yet that’s part of life.
“For someone to intentionally make the decision to make your life even harder by breaking into your house or assaulting you or raping your daughter, I’m like, it’s tough enough buddy.”
A SHERIFF ON RESERVE?
Perrette’s appearances on the TV show America’s Most Wanted, and working with host John Walsh were not accidental. “I have such respect for law enforcement that I might even sign up to be a reserve sheriff,” she says. “If I weren’t an actress, I’d definitely be in law enforcement, maybe working for the FBI or some sort of intelligence agency, because I’m a thinker.”
She does claim she’s not as smart as her TV alter ego, Abby, nor as tall, though Perrette stands a statuesque 5’10”. Yet lines are blurred between Perrette and Sciuto so much that the producers allowed the actress to infuse Abby with some of her own identity.
“Abby will always be an iconic TV character,” says Perrette. “She’s become a myriad of awesome; people even dress up like her for parties. And I’ve been able to include some of my life in her.” For instance? “Hugs. I’m from the South and we’re huggers, so instinctively I would hug people on the set, and that became one of Abby’s traits. In turn, my fans always hug me.”
GIVING BACK
With involvement and support of more than 30 charities, Perrette thought it important to bring that to the small screen and infuse Abby with her own sense of giving back to society. “Abby now works for Habitat for Humanity, worked with Petfinder.com, Save The Children, American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders…all of that came from me. I just think working with non-profits and charities is the best way to spend my time and my money.”
She admits to not owning many material possessions, not even a stove or oven in her Hollywood Colonial home. “I’m not a shopper; I shop at thrift stores. I don’t go for manicures and pedicures. I’d rather spend time with some of my guy friends talking politics over a few beers. So spending my time and money for charities is an investment of my money in humanity.”
These interests and passions can pull her in a million directions, and she uses a punching bag to stay together. “I hit the bag pretty much every day,” she says. “It’s great for my core strength, good for balance and it just makes me feel good all over.”
LIVE IN THE MOMENT
Perrette says she sometimes wrestles with thoughts of fears and phobias: being misunderstood, her biggest fear, and phobias that run the gamut from sleeping in blue-walled rooms, to magicians. She says she prefers to deal with what is put in her path and not think about what lies ahead. “That’s why I’ve had such an interesting life. I was willing to persevere regardless of circumstances. I was a student, a model, then I was in a band, now I’m this actress, so I’m just going along.”
Perrette pauses for a full minute, then adds. “Okay, a big dream of mine is to own my own dive bar. Don’t know what I’d call it…probably “Pub.” And I’ve always wanted to open a boxing gym with a tagline: ‘Street guns are for wimps; get your real guns here.’”
LAST MINUTE WITH PAULEY PERRETTE:
Last tattoo: “11-11-11” on my right forearm.
Last thing she lost: My heart (to fiancé Thomas)
Last date: Probably a neighbourhood Italian or sushi restaurant with Thomas who I call My Marine.
Last movie that made her cry: The Help. I grew up in the South and they got every saying spot on. It was perfect.
Last movie that made her laugh: Easy A – I’ve watched it twice already.
Last book read: I have books all over my house. Probably Sweet Demotion.
Last TV show watched: That would be mine. I watch the marathons, reruns…I love my show.
