No surprise: Victoria Principal will not return to Dallas as Pam Ewing

by Robert Wilonsky

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She told Deadline she would never reprise her character, last seen in the original show.

Patrick Duffy and Victoria Principal as Bobby and Pam on Dallas

This really should come as a surprise to no one, least of all the veteran members of the Dallas cast. But in a statement released to Deadline Friday evening, Victoria Principal confirms what the rest of the world already knew: The skin-care product-pusher will not reprise her role as Pam Ewing on the TNT reboot currently airing on Monday nights.

Sure, there’d been some speculating that maybe she’d show up on March 11′s episode, when they bury J.R. Ewing; his will be a guest-star-studded funeral filled with various versions of familiar faces. And, as Nellie Andreeva notes, yes, some folks had hoped that Principal would return to the series if only to fill some of the void left by the death of Larry Hagman on November 23. There were even rumors that it was a done deal.

But that was just wishful thinking — especially since Pam essentially died twice on the show, first in a car accident and then from a fatal disease … after she had plastic surgery … that had another actress in the role. Or something?

“When I filmed Pam’s fatal car accident, for me that was the punctuation mark on my role as Pam,” says the statement sent to Deadline. “I cannot be held responsible for any choices made by producers once I left Dallas, but I do take responsibility for my decision, not to risk tarnishing Bobby & Pam’s love story with a desperate reappearance. I made this decision a long time ago with a loving and respectful heart for Dallas, Bobby & Pam and all faithful fans.”

In other surprising news, the sun will come up tomorrow.