Pauley Perrette has embraced the low-key life since announcing her retirement from acting in 2020 after more than a decade on one of the most popular crime procedurals on the air, NCIS.
The former actress, 56, currently devotes more of her time to documentary work, her humanitarian efforts, charitable events, LGBTQ+ activism, home renovations, and generally spending time with her loved ones.
Such was the case earlier this week when she joined her close friend and fellow TV star Kirsten Vangsness for an Indigo Girls concert in California.
Pauley and Kirsten, 53, have been friends for decades, especially given the similarities of their career trajectories. Pauley played forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on CBS' NCIS from 2003-2018, while Kirsten also embodied a similarly intelligent and beloved character, FBI technical analyst Penelope Garcia on Criminal Minds.
The actress and writer has embodied Penelope since the show's inception in 2005, which continues to this day, also playing the character in the short-lived spin-offs Suspect Behavior and Beyond Borders.
The pair attended the folk rock duo's latest show with some friends, with Abby rocking her bright rainbow-colored locks with a white t-shirt bearing the United States flag and the slogan "Evil Empire" and a pair of jeans.
Kristen went for a brighter ensemble, opting for one of the group's own purple vests with a red mini skirt, patterned trainers and socks, plus a matching headband and her signature glasses.
"I find in these current times something I offer myself and I encourage you to offer to yourself: create happy memories with people you love – string those moments, those strings of experiences are just as real as the horrifying stuff we see out there, and our strings of lovely experiences give us more fortitude to be of service to our country and our world that is so much in pain and distortion," she captioned her post.
"I've had a whole slew of happy experiences this summer, seeing @indigogirlsmusic with @thejvclub @roxanegay74 @debbiemillman last week really gave me some energy that I could probably feel when I called my congresspeople this morning," she added, dubbing it "MAGNIFICENT."
Fans just learning of the duo's friendship were enthralled, leaving comments on Kirsten's post like: "Penélope and Abby!" and: "You and Pauley spending time together is something I didn't know I needed to see," as well as: "Pen and Abby is a spinoff crossover I didn't know I needed before this. Omg!"
The pair have been close friends both in and out of the public eye ever since they got their start on TV, even presenting at the Streamy Awards together. In an interview with AssignmentX, Kirsten joked with her Criminal Minds co-star Matthew Gray Gubler (another close friend of the duo's) that she wanted a crossover with Abby.
"Our characters are best friends from school," she said, to which Matthew jokingly added: "Reid and Abby went to MIT together," although they clarified it was just a "theoretical" episode, saying: "It was created by the three of us."