Despite several other projects during her career, Pauley Perrette will always be known as the lovable Abby Sciuto on “NCIS.”
Abby or “Abs” works as a forensic scientist with the crew at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. However, it’s her incredibly upbeat, positive, and energetic energy that people loved so much about her character. Perrette’s character also had quite the bond with Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon.
Pauley Perrette stayed on the show from 2003 to 2018. She had a bit of a falling out with the show, but was written off and not killed off.
‘Almost Famous’ Film
Even before appearing as the happiest goth ever on “NCIS,” Perrette had a role in another very popular movie.
She has a one-scene appearance in the movie “Almost Famous.” The movie is a 2000 American comedy film that Cameron Crowe wrote and directed. It stars Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, and Patrick Fugit.
The popular film is about an aspiring teenage journalist that is writing for Rolling Stone magazine. It takes place in the 1970s, a major moment in music history. The teenager is touring with a fake band named Stillwater hoping to eventually get a cover story published.
It’s an awe-worthy, hilarious, and timeless film about music and drive. It is partially taking inspiration from a true story. Cameron Crowe based the movie on his time touring with rock bands as he himself wrote for Rolling Stone. Along the way, he lost his virginity, fell in love, and met some of the most iconic music groups of all time, like the Eagles and Led Zeppelin.
‘Almost Famous’ and Other Roles Outside of ‘NCIS’
Fans of the Academy Award-winning film and “NCIS” might have recognized Pauley Perrette during the film. She appears near the beginning and plays rock DJ Alice Wisdom. It’s when the protagonist William Miller (Patrick Fugit) meets the real-life music critic named Lester Bangs (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.)
Bangs starts saying some extreme opinions about the Doors while being interviewed by Perrette’s character. Her character then stands up in a heroic fashion for the underrated Doors, leaving a large impression on the two other individuals in the room and viewers. It’s a very Abby Sciuto moment.
The movie is brimming with real music history and was a huge hit for music enthusiasts.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Cameron Crowe based Pauley Perrette’s character on a real person he knew. Alice Wisdom’s character comes from real-life Gabriel Wisdom, a disc jockey from KPRI-FM. He would meet and chat with the jockey as he was cultivating a growing interest in music. Perrette even met the real Wisdom prior to playing the part.
Crowe wanted to make elements of the movie as real as possible. A part of that included a close recreation of this studio he spent so much time in growing into his career.
Besides “Almost Famous,” Pauley Perrette is in a number of other movie and TV roles over the years. Her most recent is “Broke,” a TV series from 2020 where she plays a character named Jackie.
She also had smaller roles in TV shows like “Fantasy Hospital,” “FCU: Fact Checkers Unit,” “Time of Your Life,” and “Dawson’s Creek.”
