DALLAS INTERVIEWS

VICTORIA PRINCIPAL

On January 3, 1950, Victoria Principal was born in Japan, to Ree Veal and Air Force Master Sergeant Victor Principal. Victoria and her younger sister spent their childhood moving from one military base to another, one state to the next, and attending 17 different schools.

In high school, Victoria began modeling in pageants and appearing in commercials. At 18, after a car accident disrupted her first year of chiropractic college, Victoria moved to New York City in pursuit of stardom. Her New York experience led her to London, where she settled for a few years, acting at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

In 1971, Victoria arrived in Hollywood where her first big break resulted in a role opposite Paul Newman in the John Huston film "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean." She earned a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer, and went on to appear in "The Naked Ape," "Earthquake" and "Vigilante Force." However, her transition into "Naked Ape" was a disappointing venture that she claims nearly ruined her career.

Leaving acting to become an agent, Victoria found success representing writers, directors and producers. In 1977, she made plans to attend law school, hoping to eventually run a television network. Although she considered acting to be a part of her past, producer Aaron Spelling offered her one year's tuition to take a role in the pilot of "Fantasy Island." Her highly noted performance led her to star in the television movie "The Night They Stole Miss Beautiful." Again enjoying acting, Victoria soon had a script in hand for a new nighttime drama, "Dallas."

In 1978, the tremendous success of "Dallas" catapulted Victoria into the limelight for her multifaceted portrayal of Pam Ewing, Bobby Ewing's long-suffering wife. Victoria spent nine years on "Dallas," leaving the show only after she felt she had explored the depths of Pam's character. Reemerging in the TV movie "Mistress," she received rave reviews and began planning television films for her new production company, Victoria Principal Productions. She continued to star in numerous TV movies, including "River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene," "Blind Witness" and the Lifetime Original Movie "Dancing in the Dark."

Victoria's business savvy has helped her become a best-selling author of three fitness and self-help books: "The Body Principal," "The Beauty Principal" and "The Diet Principal." While writing "The Body Principal" in 1982, Victoria met Los Angeles physician Dr. Harry Glassman, and three years later they were married.

A pioneer in the area of celebrity spokespersons, Victoria has worked for Jhirmack hair care products and Health and Fitness of America. Due to both her parents' battles with arthritis-related conditions, she also became involved in the Arthritis Foundation. Serving as the campaign spokesperson and the Foundation's ambassador to government, Victoria successfully campaigned for the reinstatement of Medicaid funding for arthritis medications and the creation of a separate arthritis institute within the National Institutes of Health.

Today, Victoria Principal is busy devoting time to her marriage, to the success of her Principal Secret skin-care line and, most recently, to the launch of Color Principal makeup. She is also steering her acting career in an entirely new direction — toward comedy. She is ready to show audiences a new side of Victoria Principal.