Pauley Perrette From NCIS Leaves Me Completely Speechless

A few years ago I had the great good fortune to meet celebrity hairdresser Janine Jarman who was in the process of opening the Hairroin Salon.

At the time I did an interview with Janine and I was so incredibly impressed with the vivacious hairdresser who was bursting with energy and amazing creativity.

(Image of Pauley Perrette and Clint Catalyst at Hairroin Dark Sparkle Black Carpet Event, April 29, 2009 to support Los Angeles Youth Network - Photo Karen Marie Shelton - HairBoutique.com - All Rights Reserved).

Note: Stop by and read more about Clint at: http://www.clintcatalyst.com)

Janine had already broken out of her hairdresser role to be a celebrity hairstylest, doing tons of photo shoots with a variety of celebs and coiffing The Pussycat Dolls, Robin Antin and a whole list of other well-known stars.

After Janine and I finished our interview together she was so sweet and said she wanted to keep in touch.  Well we've all heard that before haven't we?  However, Janine was true to her word and sent me follow-up emails.  She made me promise to come see her the "next time you're in LA."

However, when I am in LA I am usually so slammed with appointments and meetings I never seem to have much leftover time.  Two years passed before I was in L.A. with time to burn.  I called Janine and we instantly reconnected as if we had just talked last week.  She was so charming and funny.

She invited me to a Red Carpet event at her Hairroin salon and actually apologized for the last minute timing of the invite.  The event was the night of the day I called.  I agreed to stop by, meet her and take photos.  And so I did, dragging Edan with me.

(Image of Pauley Perrette and Clint Catalyst at Hairroin Dark Sparkle Black Carpet Event, April 29, 2009 to support Los Angeles Youth Network - Photo Karen Marie Shelton - HairBoutique.com - All Rights Reserved).

When I arrived I was greeted by Janine who gave me a big hug and then introduced me to her PR person handling the Red Carpet event.  In reality it was really a Black Carpet event because the salon, which looks like a cross between a Victorian shop and a hip Goth salon was decorated for the event with a black carpet which offset the salon's dash of sparkle.

Hairroin is truly hip without being annoyingly so.  In fact, to keep things real, there are animal heads mounted on walls above where ceramic cupcakes rest.  It's hard not to try and take a bite out of the delicious, but fake treats, while eyeballing the giantic dead heads.  Trust me, it's the coolest hair salon this side of The Mississippi.

(Image of Pauley Perrette at Hairroin Dark Sparkle Black Carpet Event, April 29, 2009 to support Los Angeles Youth Network - Photo Karen Marie Shelton - HairBoutique.com - All Rights Reserved).

After meeting and chatting with Janine who was buzzing around trying to finish last minute party organizing with her staff, I chatted with the salon's PR person.  She was lovely and advised me she would point out the celebrities I needed to shoot and interview.

Being a Carpet Virgin, Red, Black or otherwise, I had no idea what was about to transpire.  In fact, if I had known, I probably would have run out into the street in panic.

When the people started arriving they literally flooded the carpet area where I and another photographer were snapping in pre-arranged co-ordinated clicks and pops.  The people came so fast that after the first celebrity was looking me in the eyeballs and I was shaking with nervousness, I calmed down and realized my only goal was to get as many photos and interviews as possible.  In between snapping shots, chatting with celebs and loading my Flip video camera I was live Twittering the event.

At one point the PR person grabbed me and said there's a big star over there you need to interview.  She literally took my hand and dragged me to the spot where the big celeb was standing with her back to me.  She turned around and I almost had a geniune foam-at-the-mouth fit.  The celebrity was none other than Pauley Perrette from NCIS with Clint Catalyst.

Pauley is one of my all time favorite actresses and I have written about her in the past.  I love her on NCIS as the feisty Abby Sciuto.  Actually, I have loved Pauley in everything I have ever seen her in.  Her characters always come across as cool, edgy and multi-layered.   She has been acting for 15 years.

Her fabulous Abby, is a computer geek who works closely with a Navy Investigative Team.  Abbs as she is lovingly called is a Goth Queen on the show and is often seen wearing spiked necklaces, bracelets, tight black leather and high edgy boots with straps and metal buckles.  All that's missing is Abby's whip and you know for sure she has one stashed somewhere.

There I was looking into the gorgeous dark eyes and beautiful face of one of my acting idols.  I literally was so shocked, I was speechless.  I'm not kidding.  I did not know what to say.  So I proceeded to act like a bumbling fan who couldn't put a full sentence together.

Now you may think I'm just exaggerating to add humor.  Nope, not so.  In fact, after blurting out a few idiotic questions, I retreated to the corner and told Edan she was going to have to go back in for the kill with the Flip Video camera.

What I did manage to croak out was a little lame but I decided to keep faking it since any reasonable questions were completely eluding me.

I told Pauley I was a huge fan and loved her on NCIS, which was my favorite TV show (and it really is).   I think I said that about 100 times in a row in a drooling manner.  She was so gorgeous and so sweet, she just kept saying thank you so much for watching the show.  My brain fog cleared enough to tell her that one of my dear friends, Michael, was going to have a cow when he heard I had met her, because he was an even bigger fan then me, if that's possible.  I told her he would never believe it.

She said "that's fantastic.  Let's take a photo together so you can show him."  I looked at her in complete shock.  Me and her together in a photo?  Really?  Indeed, she draped her arm over my shoulder and handed my camera to a friend of hers and said, "please take our picture".  And he did.  Afterward she gave me a big hug and thanked me.  Why was she thanking me?  Ahhh, according to all her friends who were there, she is a genuinely kind and loving person.

I congratulated her on her recent engagement not realizing she had gotten married in February.  DUH.  What a goofball.  Is this what all interviewers go through with their favorite stars?

I also asked her what her character Abby actually drank in those huge plastic cups that she called CaffPal which is supposedly a high voltage caffeinated drink.  She smiled and said "juice".   Ahhhhh, makes total sense I nodded like a bumbling idiot.   I commented on her NCIS Blog and how they seemed to work very long hours.  She agreed that they did work many hours.

I told her I loved Abby's Goth outfits and she said "they can sometimes be uncomfortable to do scenes in."  I also told her she is always saying such great things about her cast mates and she said "they are all so great, I really love all of them."  I said how much I enjoyed the NCIS coroner and she said "Ducky?"  I nodded fading in and out of shock.  She agreed that he was "adorable."

I told her I had been a fan even before NCIS and loved her in Special Unit.  She said it was a fun show to do and reminded her in some ways of NCIS.  I told I liked Carl who played some sort of dwarf like character.  The 5'9" beauty laughed and agreed.

At that point all the remaining brains left in my head, flowed out.  I stood there with my mouth hanging open and decided to retreat before I looked any more crazy.  At that point I handed Edan the Flip video camera and she proceeded to have a great interview with Pauley.

I will also confess to being totally blown away by how gorgeous Pauley is in person.  She had her Raven Black hair coiffed into a sleek shoulder length bobstyle that was cascading from a beautiful bandeau style headband.  Her make-up was perfect and she was wearing stunning black knee-length boots that perfectly complemented her dress.  She looked elegant but understated.  Pauley was dressed perfectly.

After I had completely frozen, yes me, a normal chatterbox, I remembered a ton of questions I should have asked her.  Like for example how she does her naturally curly hair, which was bone straight and super healthy and shiny looking.  I also could have asked her for her autograph, why she was at Hairroin and whether or not she was getting tired of playing Abby.

Geez after I left the party I was thinking of hundreds of questions I should have asked her such as how many more seasons did she think NCIS still had left to go.  Hopefully many, but who ever knows with television.  I also should have asked her if she plans on doing any films, who does her hair, whether she lives in LA or some other location and what was her favorite acting part of all time.  Oh well, at least we discussed enough things that I was able to seem only slightly nuts.

Pauley Perrette, wherever you are, thank you for being such a lovely, sweet and charming woman.  Thank you also for offering to pose for me so many times with a wonderful smile and not to seem to notice that I was having a hard time talking.  No wonder so many fans adore you.

Hairroin Salon

Hairroin is located at 1553 N. Cahuenga Blvd.  Please make an appointment to see Janine of any of her fabulous hairdressers and colorists who can create hair almost as amazing as their parties which really rock.

Don't forget to stop by Clint Catalyst's Website.

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