Watch: Pauley Perrette Says Goodbye to Abby on ‘NCIS’

NCIS cast member Pauley Perrette is preparing to say her goodbyes to the show, and she is more emotional about the departure than one would think.

Perrette, who plays Abby Sciuto on the CBS drama, sat down with CBS News to discuss leaving the role she has played for 15 seasons.

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“It makes me sad to imagine a world without Abby in it,” Perrette wrote. “It really makes me sad.”

Apparently saying goodbye to the show has been a rough emotional rollercoaster for her. She says she typically cries going to and leaving work for production.

“I’m still grieving,” she said. “It feels different every day. It’s sad. I usually cry in my car every day when I drive to work, and I usually cry on my way home at some point.”

As for why she is saying goodbye to the show after more than 350 episodes as a main cast member, she touched on the fact that she wants a bit of privacy.

“It’s being a commodity,” Perrette said. “I think I’ve earned some time to myself (to) stay home, go to church.”

Despite that desire for privacy, the 49-year-old actress is not looking to retire from acting. She said she loves the work, and she is currently fielding a slew of offers from “everyone.”

“It’s not like people aren’t asking,” Perrette said. “I’m being offered.. a lot. There’s a lot of conversations going on. And there’s me sitting at home on the couch drinking beer with my dogs, and I’m really good at it.”

Despite the role being retired, Perrette hopes Abby’s impact continues for years to come. She specifically cited the ways the character has inspired young women to pursue science as a career. Perrette even created a scholarship fund for women wishing to going into scientific fields so that Abby “lives forever.”

“Abby made science cool and obtainable for young women,” Perrette said. “This television character did more than encourage it. It made it cool. It made it exciting. It made it fun.”

Perette’s final NCIS episodes will play out over a two-part story, which will air on May 1 and May 8. It is unclear how Abby’s character will be written off the show.

NCIS airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS

Photo Credit: CBS / Kevin Lynch