7 Questions with Pauley Perrette of NCIS

Pauley Perrette
Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2014 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Pauley Perrette is heading into her 12th season as eccentric scientist Abby Sciuto on CBS’s ratings winner, NCIS. After being a part of the “World’s Most Popular Drama” for a dozen years, I asked her if she’s still excited each year to return to work and Perrette bubbled with exuberance, “We’re just so excited, still so happy, still so grateful and we’re going into Season 12. It’s amazing! We love our fans, and we love each other. It’s one of those things in life, where everything is just super awesome and we’re one, big, goofy family.” Pauley took a few minutes to answer our 7 Questions and she was as utterly charming as you could hope.

1. You’re at a magazine rack and can only pick three titles. Which ones do you choose?
I’m not a fashion magazine person, I’m not into pop culture, but I like news. I would get a crossword puzzle book, a Sudoku book and I would get a news magazine.

2. If your TV carried just three shows or networks, what would they be?
My show is my favorite show, but I also love Survivor, 60 Minutes, and Big Brother.

3. What are three things you have to have in your fridge or pantry?
Beer! I’m from the South and every southern person knows that you need to have a can of cream of mushroom soup at all times. And mayonnaise; I love mayonnaise.

4. What has been your strangest or funniest fan encounter?
I think there are a lot of people who have me tattooed a lot of different places. Actually, it’s pictures of Abby, not me. It’d be weird if it was a tattoo of me in a hoodie and sneakers.

5. Tell us about a time when you were starstruck.
Oh my goodness, Dolly Parton!! It was years ago, I love Dolly Parton and I didn’t know what to say and I didn’t know what to do.

Another time was when I saw Ray LaMontagne, the singer. I was working at the Grammy’s for CBS and I was the social networking person who was supposed to be talking to people and I saw him and I didn’t know what to do and I ran away. I ran! I ran in the other direction because he’s so talented and I simply didn’t know what to do.

6. What movie can you watch over and over again?
The Wall and This is Spinal Tap are my two favorite movies.

7. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Invisibility; I want to be invisible! I want to be invisible right now.

Season 12 of NCIS premieres on Tuesday, Sept 23 at 8pmET/PT and is hosting a live chat here at 8pmET/5pmPT (you’ll need to RSVP via Facebook).

In the NCIS season premiere, “Twenty Klicks,” Agents Gibbs and McGee are sent to Russia to safely escort home an NCIS computer engineer connected to classified intel. When their mission is compromised, they are hunted by a Russian mercenary group and are forced to go off the grid. Back in D.C., the rest of the team uses every asset and inter-agency contact they have in a frantic attempt to locate their missing team members.