What is Victoria Principal's Net Worth and Salary?
Victoria Principal is an American actress, philanthropist, and entrepreneur who has a net worth of $350 million. Victoria Principal best known for her role as Pamela Barnes Ewing on the popular television series "Dallas," which she played from 1978 to 1987.
In 1972, Victoria appeared in the movie "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean." After being impressed by her performance, the film's writer, John Milius, expanded her role in the film. She ended up being nominated for a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer. This led to more high-profile offers. In the mid-70s, she chose to leave performance and focus on working as an agent. In 1977, however, she was approached by Aaron Spelling and invited to appear in the pilot episode of "Fantasy Island." This led to the role that would make her a bonafide star as Pamela Barnes Ewing on "Dallas." She was a series regular on Dallas between 1978 and 1987, appearing in 251 episodes.
After leaving "Dallas," Principal focused on other ventures. She became a successful businesswoman, launching her own skincare line called Principal Secret in 1989. The company grew into a major enterprise, with Principal actively involved in product development and marketing. In addition to her business pursuits, Principal authored several books on beauty, skincare, and health. She also continued to act occasionally, appearing in various television movies and series. Outside of acting and entrepreneurship, Victoria is an active and prolific philanthropist. She has donated millions of dollars to support a wide variety of charities.
Skincare Line and Entrepreneurship
Victoria first became interested in natural beauty products in the mid-1980s. In 1989, she launched a skincare company called Principal Secret. Over the next 30 years, the company slowly grew into a mini-empire. Since launching, the line has generated more than $1.5 billion in revenue and continues to be extremely successful. She sold the company to Guthy Renker in April 2019 for an undisclosed sum, likely in the $100-200 million range, at least.
Victoria Principal Real Estate
Victoria owns a large real estate portfolio. In California alone, she owns homes in Malibu, Big Sur, and Beverly Hills. She also owns a home in Switzerland. Starting in 2012, she began developing a ranch property outside Los Angeles, where she operates an animal rescue.
(Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Early Life
Principal was born on January 3, 1950, in Fukuoka, Japan. She is the eldest daughter of United States Air Force sergeant Victor Rocco Principal, who was stationed in Fukuoka at the time, and mother Ree Veal. She also has a younger sister named Kim. Due to her father's job, Principal moved often throughout her childhood, living in places like London, Puerto Rico, Florida, and Massachusetts. She attended 17 different schools and also studied at the Royal Ballet School while the family was living in England.
She graduated from Miami's South Dade Senior High School in 1968 and then enrolled at Miami-Dade Community College, where she intended to study medicine. However, only a few months into the first year of her studies, she was injured in a car accident by a drunk driver while she was driving home from the library. Because she spent several months in the hospital and got behind in school, she was faced with the prospect of having to take the entire first year's curriculum over again. Instead, she made a drastic change and decided to move to New York City and pursue a career in acting. Soon after, she moved to London to take courses with Professor Jean Scott at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Career
After her time in London, Principal moved to Los Angeles in 1970. She landed her first film role in John Huston's, "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean." For her role, she earned a Golden Globe nomination in the Most Promising Newcomer category. Some of her other early work includes "The Naked Ape," "Earthquake," and "The Night They Took Miss Beautiful." She then decided to pursue a career in law and had decided only to take small parts in order to support herself through school.
However, her plans changed when a friend dropped off a "Dallas" script with Principal. She loved the script so much that she called the casting agent to schedule an audition and landed the role of Pamela Barnes Ewing. "Dallas" became one of the longest-running prime-time television soap opera series, as it was on air from 1978 until 1991. It was also a very widely-watched show, popular with audiences and critics alike. Principal herself received high praise for her role but decided to leave the series in 1987, citing unhappiness with how many of the original show writers had left. While on the show, she received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series category.
Following "Dallas," Principal continued appearing in television and film roles. She landed parts in "Blind Witness," "Home Improvement," "Michael Kael vs. the World News Company," and "Titans." She also joined many of the original "Dallas" cast members in 2004 in "Dallas Reunion: The Return to Southfork," a television special that celebrated the original show.
Outside of her acting career, Principal also became an entrepreneur as she started her own skincare line focused on natural beauty called Principal Secret in 1989. She also started her own jewelry line, Keys & Hearts, in January 2011.
Principal has also written a number of books, many of which are focused on health, fitness, beauty, and general well-being. Some of her books include "The Body Principal," "The Beauty Principal," and "The Diet Principal." All of these were published throughout the 1980s. In 2001, she wrote her fourth book, "Living Principal," which spent 12 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list and also became a number one bestseller in the "Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous" category.
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Personal Life
Principal has been married two times. In 1978, she married writer-producer Christopher Skinner, whom she had met a few months earlier on the set of "Dallas." Their relationship lasted two years, and they filed for divorce in 1980, which was finalized in 1981. In January of 1981, she then met English singer Andy Gibb. The two became a couple and recorded a duet love song together called "All I Have to Do Is Dream," which became a modest pop hit. However, due to Gibb's drug problems, their relationship ended in 1982.
In 1983, Principal met Dr. Harry Glassman, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. They got married in 1985 in Dallas, Texas. They remained married for over two decades before Principal filed for divorce in 2006, citing irreconcilable differences.
Principal is involved in a number of philanthropic causes. She formed the organization The Victoria Principal Foundation For Thoughtful Existence, which is focused on providing funding for various environmental causes. She also is a former co-chairman of Victory Over Violence, an organization devoted to increasing public awareness around domestic violence. She has donated money and provided other forms of support to organizations like Oceana, the National Resources Defense Council, and the American Humane Association.
Principal has homes in Big Sur, California, Switzerland, and Malibu. In 2012, she developed a ranch property outside of Los Angeles devoted to rescuing and rehabilitating animals. She received an honorary law degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law in 1993. In 2003, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California Walk of Stars was dedicated to Principal.
Principal vs Principle: Fun factoid! The word "principal," like the way Victoria spells it in her last name, in financial terms typically represents a large sum of quantifiable money. Pretty appropriate for someone worth $350 million! Not to be confused with the word "principle," a noun meaning fundamental law. Using all three in a sentence: "Victoria Principal's principle goal is to maintain the principal of her enormous net worth."
