Victoria Principal is Opening Up About the ‘Dallas’ Episode That Outraged Her… At First
Victoria Principal is perhaps best known for playing Pamela Ewing on the beloved drama Dallas and now she is opening up about certain episodes of the ’80s show. There was a two-part episode that at first, she said “sparked fury” but later realized that it was very brave of her co-star, Barbara Bel Geddes to act in the episodes and they became her favorites.
The 73-year-old star explained, “I continued to love working on ‘Dallas’ for many years, but a special episode stands out in my heart: ‘Mastectomy,’ a two part episode.” She continued, “I first read the script for ‘Mastectomy’ and my response was fury. I mistakenly thought the producers and writers had plundered Barbara’s personal story. I went to Barbara about it and she assured me that she was part of the decision and had even participated in certain aspects of the story and writing.”
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Bel Geddes had a double mastectomy after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, around the same time that her husband passed away. Principal added, “Her bravery and willingness to publicly shed light on a subject, that at the time, lived in the shadows, was an act of courage that gave me greater insight into Barbara’s strength of character. She was my hero. And these two episodes are the ‘diamonds of Dallas.’ And that is why she won that Emmy!” Bel Geddes, who played Miss Ellie Ewing passed away in 2005 from lung cancer at the age of 82.
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While Dallas had a seemingly slow start, the show eventually became extremely popular and remains a beloved classic. Principal recalls one of the first times she was noticed from the show in 1980. She went to a furniture store and quickly became overwhelmed by the number of fans asking for autographs. It got to be so crazy that the store manager locked her in his office and called the police, prompting her to be escorted to her car.
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Even the policeman wanted autographs! She said, “The policeman also requested autographs and shared their enthusiasm for the show. I drove home with a new, profound awareness of the popularity of ‘Dallas’ and the recognizability of its characters — and without that new sofa!” You can watch all 13 seasons of the show on Amazon Freevee.
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June 2017
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