Over the course of her nine-year run on "Dallas", Principal found worldwide fame. After the series, Principal left "Dallas" in 1987, after a two-year decision to prepare with the series' producers for the final season of her character's arc. However, as an actress, she intentionally worked on separating her own persona from that of her on-screen character, as she explained in 1987 to "The New York Times" in an interview during her final week of shooting on the "Dallas" set, "A lot of work has gone into keeping Victoria Principal separate from Pam Ewing. To stay on the show any longer would really seal my fate in the industry."