A former TV star, this actress captivated audiences with her role on a hit show for many years. However, after many failed relationships and wanting a change in her life, she left Hollywood to pursue something more fulfilling.
This actress rose to fame in the 1970s and ’80s for her role on the award-winning soap opera “Dallas.” However, after a string of failed relationships, including her first marriage ending in divorce, and years of immense success, she realized she wanted something different.
The “Dallas” star circa 1970. | Source: Getty Images
Trading the spotlight for a quieter life, she now devotes herself to rescuing and caring for animals, a pursuit that fills her with joy every day. Take a look at her journey and how “beautiful” she looks now at 74.
The actress at The American Booksellers Convention on June 6, 1983, in Dallas, Texas. | Source: Getty Images
The Rise of the ‘Dallas’ Star
This actress’s journey to fame began in the early 1970s, starting with a role in “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean” alongside the legendary Paul Newman.
However, four years after her debut, the star became so dissatisfied with the trajectory of her career that she stepped away from acting entirely. For the next three years, she shifted her focus and worked as an agent.
The actress circa 1970s. | Source: Getty Images
By 1978, her passion for law and desire to enter the business side of the entertainment industry led to plans of attending law school and possibly becoming a studio executive.
The TV star photographed in 1973. | Source: Getty Images
But fate had a different plan when Aaron Spelling, the famed television producer, offered to cover a year of her law school tuition in exchange for her accepting a role in the pilot of “Fantasy Island” in 1977. She took the opportunity, which led to her landing one of the most significant roles of her career just a year later.
The actress, circa 1977. | Source: Getty Images
That life-changing role came in the form of Pamela Barnes Ewing on the hit CBS soap opera “Dallas,” which quickly became a fan favorite and one of the longest-running TV shows of its time.
The Hollywood actress photographed as Pamela Barnes Ewing from “Dallas” in 1978. | Source: Getty Images
“When I went in for the part on ‘Dallas,’ I had already fallen in love with the show and with the part. So my feeling from the moment I read it was that it was incredibly special, and I really, really wanted to be a part of it. I could not imagine not being Pam,” she shared.
The Hollywood star circa 1980. | Source: Getty Images
Her portrayal of Pam cemented her as a staple of 1980s television. “The first five years were some of the best television I’ve ever seen,” the actress fondly recalled.
The “Dallas” star posing for a portrait in 1985 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
While working on “Dallas,” the star met her first husband, actor Christopher Skinner. The pair found themselves in a whirlwind romance and after just three dates, the couple married in a private Las Vegas ceremony.
The actress and her husband Christopher Skinner circa 1979. | Source: Getty Images
However, cracks soon began to show. The actress reflected on their relationship, “After a while, Christopher realized he really did want somebody who was home more, who had more traditional hours. He wanted a more traditional marriage. Now, that wasn’t his fault, and it wasn’t my fault. Needs change.”
The TV actress and Christopher Skinner at the 1979 Photoplay Awards in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
She added, “The reason we got divorced was not because we didn’t love each other, but because he couldn’t live within the way I lived, and I couldn’t live the way he wanted. There was no hate involved, just sorrow.”
Christopher Skinner and the “Dallas” actress in 1980. | Source: Getty Images
The breakup with Skinner wasn’t the only romantic disappointment in the actress’s life. She was briefly involved with financier Bernie Cornfeld, a notorious figure of the time. She also dated legendary crooner Frank Sinatra before starting a relationship with pop star Andy Gibb.
Andy Gibb and the famous actress at the Night of 100 Stars Benefit Gala on February 14, 1982, in New York. | Source: Getty Images
Then, after nine years of portraying Pamela Barnes Ewing, the “Dallas” star decided to leave the show. By that time, her dissatisfaction with the series had grown.
“[…] After year seven, there was a definitive decline. At year seven, it was time for me to renegotiate my contract, and I was very candid about my concern and my disappointment,” she explained.
The “Dallas” star and her castmate Patrick Duffy on the set of the hit show in 1979. | Source: Getty Images
The Hollywood star cited frustrations over the changing quality of the writing and left after her contract negotiations. However, her career didn’t slow down. She launched her own production company and focused on producing and starring in various TV movies.
The actress on Jay Leno’s talk show on April 2, 1991. | Source: Getty Images
In 1983, she authored “The Body Principal,” the first of four health and wellness books. Her entrepreneurial spirit reached new heights in 1991 when she founded a successful skincare company she led for nearly 30 years.
The Hollywood star photographed at a party on July 24, 1991, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
Then by the early 2000s, after a string of successful business ventures and TV appearances, including a role on “Titans” from 2000 to 2001, the actress felt a shift in her priorities. “By the time I turned 50, I felt that I wanted to make a change in my life,” she said of her decision to leave Hollywood for good.
The actress circa 2000. | Source: Getty Images
From Hollywood Glamour to Ranch Life
This well-known actress is none other than Victoria Principal, who found love once again in the mid-1980s. After her emotional divorce with Gibb, Principal met Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Harry Glassman.
Their relationship blossomed as both were navigating the end of previous marriages. Glassman was in the process of divorcing his first wife, Jane, when he and Principal began dating.
Harry Glassman and Victoria Principal at the Tom Bradley Scholarship Endowement on May 18, 1983, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
They later married in 1985. However, Glassman once revealed, “One of the things about the relationship with Victoria I’ve grown to resent is the lack of privacy.” The couple eventually parted ways in 2006 after over two decades together.
Harry Glassman and Victoria Principal at the Peterson Galleries Exhibition on May 16, 1984, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
Over the years, Principal’s dedication to her skincare line Principal Secret remained strong, but her heart was pulling her toward something else. In 2019, she officially stepped down from the business.
Victoria Principal at the Day of Beauty with Principal Beauty event on November 21, 2009, in Malibu, California. | Source: Getty Images
“[…] 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,” she shared in a statement.
Victoria Principal at the Day of Beauty with Principal Beauty event on November 21, 2009, in Malibu, California. | Source: Getty Images
The actress’s animal rescue work took center stage after she moved to a ranch outside of Los Angeles. As of 2012, the former actress lived a quieter life, far removed from the Hollywood scene. On her ranch, she rescues and rehabilitates animals that have been neglected or abused.
