In 2018, recalling the first days of filming on the "Dallas" set in 1978, Principal told "TV Insider", "What I remember most about the first day of shooting "Dallas" was an unexpected feeling of "déjà vu". Everything was new to me; I was nervous, and yet I felt strangely sure that I was where I was supposed to be and with the people I was supposed to be with as though this had happened before. I remember looking at Patrick when he did not know it and thinking, 'this is a nice person.' And that made falling into his arms and our love scenes that day so much easier and natural.