The Battlestar Galactica Star Who Nearly Landed the Role of Abby Sciuto on NCIS
Abby Sciuto was a quirky and memorable character – and one of the standouts of the hit CBS procedural NCIS.
With her unique combination of gothic style and a positive approach to life, Abby was brought to life superbly by Pauley Perrette and became synonymous with the show while simultaneously playing a major role in the teams' success as they investigated criminal activities surrounding the US navy.
And much of the reason that Abby was such a great character has to do with the way Perrette brought her to life and made her both likeable and believable.
After seeing Perrette portray Abby for so long, it's hard to imagine anybody else in the role. But, of course, there were other actors in the running for the part when the producers were casting for the show.
And one who very nearly landed the role was Katee Sackhoff who went on to star in Battlestar Galactica as Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace as well as taking on a recurring role as Bo-Katan Kryze in The Mandalorian.
Indeed, Sackhoff has a pretty impressive acting resume that includes hit TV shows and blockbuster movies.
But it could have all been so different. Sackhoff auditioned for the role of Abby Sciuto and was ready to take it on. But due to scheduling clashes, she was unable to play the part of Abby.
Before auditioning for a part in NCIS Sackhoff had already had a screen test for her role in Battlestar Galactica. When she was handed the role of Starbuck, she had to turn down NCIS and the producers were forced to look elsewhere for someone to play Abby Sciuto.
Step forward Pauley Perrette. And I think we can all agree the role worked out pretty well for her.
In fact, you'd have to say the casting (while slightly fortuitous) worked out well for both shows and both actors. In the same way that it's hard to imagine another actor playing the female version of Lieutenant Starbuck.
And Sackhoff did eventually land a part in a procedural show, playing the recurring character, Frankie Reed in several episodes of CSI season 11.
Meanwhile, Perrett played Abby for more than 10 years before a falling out with Mark Harmon (special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs) brought about an end to her time on the show in 2018.