Aired in 1978, Dallas can certainly be considered one of the greatest television dramas of all time. It’s difficult to describe how popular Dallas was back then – today’s young people would probably never understand how one soap-opera could become an international phenomenon and matter for basically everyone in the world.

The series revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy and feuding Texan family  in the oil and cattle-ranching industries.

Victoria Principal had turned 28 when Dallas premiered, and she was a major reason why the series became a worldwide hit. As Pamela Barnes Ewing, the beautiful wife of Bobby Ewing and sister-in-law of JR, she became the boyhood crush of a whole generation.

During her nine-year run on Dallas, Victoria was nominated for a Golden Globe and two Soap Opera Digest Awards.

In recent years, she has revealed several details from the set and also talked about her relationship with icon actor Larry Hagman, star of Dallas.

”Going toe to toe with J.R., a.k.a. Larry Hagman, was always a delight. Larry was a generous actor and would find a way to talk to me the morning of the scene about how we could make it even more powerful,” she said.

But she wasn’t particularly close with her castmates.

“There were phone calls, but I didn’t really have get-togethers. We never hung out really anyway. We worked together and we had different lives. When I started the show Patrick was married and starting a family, Steve was married and starting a family, Larry was married with children, Linda was married with children. I was single. And so those are very different lifestyles,” Victoria told People.

Why Victoria Principal left Dallas

Victoria Principal left the hit TV series in 1987.

There were several different reasons for her decision.

“A lot of work has gone into keeping Victoria Principal separate from Pam Ewing. To stay on the show any longer would really seal my fate in the industry,” she told New York Times in 1987.

Victoria even said no to a huge contract that would have made her the highest-paid actress on TV at the time.

”The first five years on Dallas were so unbelievably wonderful — then some key writers departed, and by year seven there was a decline in the writing, which was an enormous part of my decision to leave. I informed the producers during renegotiations in the seventh year that I would only stay for two more. They wanted a longer contract, and I said no. I was completely transparent. I learned a lot from playing Pam. She was someone with such innate goodness and who was courageous in fighting for what she believed in. It was really a privilege to play her,” she told Entertainment Weekly.

Victoria Principal net worth

Victoria could easily have retired after Dallas, but instead she stepped up and invested heavily in her own skincare company, Principal Secret. She still appeared in some TV movies – but her main target was to build a skin-care empire, which she launched in 1984.

Since the start, the company has been very successful and the line has generated more than $1.5 billion in revenue. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Victoria Principal has a whopping net worth of $350 million.

But none of this would have been possible without the success of Dallas.

”I continue to be passionately dedicated to running my skincare company, Principal Secret. We are about to celebrate 27 years in business. And I have never forgotten that Dallas gave me the springboard to achieve so many of my dreams,” Principal told TV Insider in 2018.

One year after the interview with TV Insider, Victoria announced that she was stepping away from her company.

“After 30 years in the skincare business and 28 years as the President & Founder of Principal Secret, I will be stepping down to devote myself full time to my philanthropic work through The Victoria Principal Foundation for Thoughtful Existence and my rescue work with animals,” Principal said in a statement.

The former actress is now focusing on philanthropy and her foundation has made important donations over the years. For example, she donated a fleet of rescue boats to the American Humane society following Hurricane Harvey, in 2018. She has also donated $25,000 to fire restoration efforts in the aftermath of the California Wildfires in 2018.

Personal life

During her career, Victoria somehow got the reputation of being a man-hunter, but nothing could be more wrong. Victoria has been married and divorced twice – pretty normal for a Hollywood star if you ask me.

“No one who ever dated me has ever said an unkind thing about me,” she exclaims. “I’ve probably had fewer relationships than many in my 33 years, but no one will ever believe it,” Victoria told People in 1983.

Victoria Principal met her first husband, Christoper Skinner, during the set of Dallas. Skinner was then a young actor, seven years her junior.

The couple first met in 1978 and dated only three times before the got married. After two years, the couple filed for divorce.

According to Victoria, her 75-hour-a-week job was too much for her young husband.

Married twice

After her first marriage, Victoria dated the English singer-songwriter Andy Gibb. It was a high-profile relationship, but filled with problems. Although the couple had a very strong chemistry and loved each other, Gibb’s lifestyle and addiction became too much for Victoria.

”I did everything I could to help him, but then I told him he would have to choose between me and his problem,” Victoria said after Gibb’s passing in 1998.

In 1983, Victoria fell in love with a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Dr. Harry Glassman. The couple tied the knot in 1985, in Dallas, Texas.

Since Victoria married a plastic surgeon, many speculated that her husband ”helped” her stay young. But in an interview in 2007, Victoria denied that she used her husband’s services.

”I’ve never had a face-lift. Or a professional peel or lasers,” she said.

Victoria Principal children

Victoria and Dr. Harry Glassman divorced in December 2006, with Principal stating: “We have had a loving relationship for over 20 years.”

Victoria Principal has no children of her own, but during her marriage to Glassman, she became close with his two children from a previous relationship, Andrew and Brooke.

Her life today in 2022

Today, Victoria Principal is 71 years old and very active on social media. Judging by her Facebook page, she spends a lot of time on her ranch outside of Los Angeles, where she rehabilitates animals.

To me, it’s just tears of joy when I see what this amazing lady looks like today!

Her 300,000 followers get a great insight into Victoria’s life – she often uploads photos and short movies from the life on the ranch.

From time to time, she also publishes photos from the Dallas era and her acting career. Of course she’s going to look different today, but we all do. It’s called life.

My dear Victoria, you are one of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen! You are an example of beauty, from the inside out, kindness, sweetness, of strength and inspiration!

You deserve all the best, all the happiness life can bring you! The way you treat and love your animals, goes beyond words – share this article on Facebook if you agree!