Throughout NCIS’ 22-season run, the series has seen plenty of cast members exit. While some left for good, others have made surprise returns. Most recently, Michael Weatherly made a cameo in the tribute episode for David McCallum and Ducky earlier this year. Meanwhile, Pauley Perrette has remained adamant about not coming back as Abby Sciuto, and she’s been quite busy since she retired from acting.
As one of the OG NCIS stars going all the way to the JAG backdoor pilot, Perrette remained on the CBS procedural through Season 15. The story of why the Abby actress left NCIS includes reported bad blood with Mark Harmon, however, she hasn’t expressed any interest in returning since the Gibbs actor departed.
She did land the CBS sitcom Broke not long after leaving the procedural. However, she ultimately decided to retire from acting when the series was canceled after only one season. While some might hope she could return to acting and the NCIS franchise, that’s all in her rearview mirror, as she told HELLO! Magazine:
I'm not ungrateful for the benefits that it gave to me. But I'm a different person now and I want to be here for it – the good and the bad and the painful. I want to be me all the time, and it takes a good amount of courage for me to say that to myself, but it's authentically how I feel.
Season 22 of NCIS will premiere on the 2024 TV schedule on Monday, October 14 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. You can also stream the new episodes the day after they air as well as the old seasons with a Paramount+ subscription.
It sounds like Perrette has been working on herself a lot since leaving the acting industry, and she’s doing really well.
However, she has been through a lot personally over the last few years as she suffered a stroke in 2021 and lost her father to COVID. So it makes sense that she's really taking time to focus on herself and her well-being. Even though she’s clearly grateful for the career she had and the benefits that came with it, she seems to be in a better place these days, which is really all that matters.
Pauley Perrette hasn’t completely stepped away from the industry though. While she has no plans to return to acting, she is executive producing documentaries now, explaining that she has a “deep need to find authenticity in everything.” As she said, even though acting was a “great escape,” with documentaries, she can focus on fact rather than fiction and can find that "authenticity" she's always looking for. It’s definitely admirable, and as much as I would love to see Abby Sciuto come back following the little reference to her in the Ducky tribute episode, Perrette seems to be loving life as it is.
The former actress does still keep the series and some of her co-stars close though. She and Michael Weatherly occasionally show support for one another, whether it’s for a new project or a birthday, which is always sweet to see. She also paid tribute to David McCallum after he passed away last year.
Now, while Perrette is no longer working on NCIS, those with a Paramount+ subscription can always watch the first 15 seasons just for Abby. It is also always possible that Perrette could change her mind in the future, and as of now, there’s no indication that NCIS is coming to an end any time soon. However, she does seem content with where her life is now, and ultimately, we're happy she's happy!
