Pauley Perrette Says She's 'Retired' After 'NCIS' Exit, 'Broke' Cancellation

Former NCIS star Pauley Perrette confirmed she really is retired from acting and plans to [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Former NCIS star Pauley Perrette confirmed she really is retired from acting and plans to celebrate by getting more tattoos and piercings. After CBS canceled her sitcom Broke, Perrette announced her plans to retire from the business in July. Perrette toyed with the idea of retiring after leaving NCIS in 2018, but she decided to come back for Broke, a sitcom co-starring Jane the Virgin actor Jamie Camil.

Perrette, 51, took to Twitter Sunday morning to ask her followers if it was legal to get piercings and tattoos in Los Angeles during the coronavirus pandemic. "I'm finally (after over 4 decades!!!) not under contract to a studio or a record company or a modeling agency and can do WHATEVER I WANT! I WANT new tattoos & piercings," she wrote. In a follow-up tweet, Perrette said she is "finally and happily" retired, adding that new piercings and tattoos were something she was looking forward to. "My rules in life now are 'if my [rescue dogs] don't care, it's cool! I only answer to God and animals and plants now. WOOT," she added.

On Friday, Perrette said there was only one acting project that could entice her to return now. If there was a movie in the works about First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Perrette would jump at the chance to play her. "Watching [CNN's First Ladies] on [Elenor Roosevelt]," Perrette wrote. "ADORE her! 1 of 3 real people I always wanted to play on screen." Perrette also included a link to her 2017 documentary Citizen Lane, in which she mentions Roosevelt.

After Perrette left NCIS following 15 seasons on the series, she seriously considered retiring from acting. "I wanted to do a comedy. Either that or retire," she told TV Insider in February. She later told the outlet her plan was to "drink beer with my three dogs and watch television," but her family, friends and pastor did not think it was a good idea. " I didn't even want to play a mom, but now Antonio is the center of my universe. He brightens my life," Perrette said, referring to Antonio Corbo, who played her on-screen son in Broke.

Although Broke got decent ratings for a network sitcom, CBS quickly canceled the series. The last of its 13 episodes aired in June. A week after the finale aired, Perrette said she was done with acting. "Actually I retired after NCIS but BROKE was important, beautiful," she tweeted on July 7. "I did my last dance & am proud of it! Everyone that knows me knew I was retiring right after. I'm proud of my work. I love you guys! I AM FREE!!! (To be the tiny little simple human I am!)"

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