Pauley Perrette has been a familiar face to TV viewers since 2003, when she was cast as goth-attired forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on NCIS. While Abby spent years helping the team capture make-believe cr!!minals, Biography pointed out that Perrette herself, ironically, earned a masters degree in criminology with an eye toward fighting crime in real life. However, Perrette was bitten by the acting bug instead.

After appearing in TV commercials for the likes of Volkswagen and Sprint, in 1996 Perrette landed a recurring role in legal drama M..ur..der One (using the moniker Pauley P. at the time). That exposure led to more TV work, making her debut as a series regular in the short-lived sitcom That’s Life. Further screen credits include such movies as Almost Famous and My First Mister, as well as another series regular role starring opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jennifer Garner in the Party of Five spinoff Time of Your Life – before she was ultimately cast in her life-changing NCIS role.