She Was an ’80s TV Icon Who Left Fame Behind and Now Cares for Animals on a Ranch – Her Photos at 75
A former TV star, this actress captivated audiences with her role on a hit show for many years. However, after many failed relationships and wanting a change in her life, she left Hollywood to pursue something more fulfilling.
This actress rose to fame in the 1970s and ’80s for her role on the award-winning soap opera “Dallas.” However, after a string of failed relationships, including her first marriage ending in divorce, and years of immense success, she realized she wanted something different.
The “Dallas” star circa 1970. | Source: Getty Images
Trading the spotlight for a quieter life, she now devotes herself to rescuing and caring for animals, a pursuit that fills her with joy every day. Take a look at her journey and how “beautiful” the star, who celebrated her 75th birthday in January 2025, looks now.
The actress at The American Booksellers Convention on June 6, 1983, in Dallas, Texas. | Source: Getty Images
The Rise of the ‘Dallas’ Star
This actress’s journey to fame began in the early 1970s, starting with a role in “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean” alongside the legendary Paul Newman.
However, four years after her debut, she became so dissatisfied with the trajectory of her career that she stepped away from acting entirely. For the next three years, she shifted her focus and worked as an agent.
The actress circa 1970s. | Source: Getty Images
By 1978, her passion for law and her desire to enter the business side of the entertainment industry led to plans of attending law school and possibly becoming a studio executive.
The TV star photographed in 1973. | Source: Getty Images
But fate had a different plan when Aaron Spelling, the famed television producer, offered to cover a year of her law school tuition in exchange for her accepting a role in the pilot of “Fantasy Island” in 1977. She took the opportunity, which led to her landing one of the most significant roles of her career just a year later.
The actress circa 1977. | Source: Getty Images
That life-changing role came in the form of Pamela Barnes Ewing on the hit CBS soap opera “Dallas,“ which quickly became a fan favorite and one of the longest-running TV shows of its time.
The Hollywood actress photographed as Pamela Barnes Ewing from “Dallas” in 1978. | Source: Getty Images
“When I went in for the part on ‘Dallas,’ I had already fallen in love with the show and with the part. So my feeling from the moment I read it was that it was incredibly special, and I really, really wanted to be a part of it. I could not imagine not being Pam,” she shared.
The Hollywood star circa 1980. | Source: Getty Images
Her portrayal of Pam cemented her as a staple of 1980s television. “The first five years were some of the best television I’ve ever seen,” the actress fondly recalled.
The “Dallas” star posing for a portrait in Los Angeles, California in 1985. | Source: Getty Images
While working on “Dallas,” the star met her first husband, actor Christopher Skinner. The pair found themselves in a whirlwind romance and after just three dates, the couple married in a private Las Vegas ceremony.
The actress and her husband Christopher Skinner circa 1979. | Source: Getty Images
However, cracks soon began to show. The actress reflected on their relationship, “After a while, Christopher realized he really did want somebody who was home more, who had more traditional hours. He wanted a more traditional marriage. Now, that wasn’t his fault, and it wasn’t my fault. Needs change.”
The TV actress and Christopher Skinner at the 1979 Photoplay Awards in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
