Priscilla Presley Said Everyone Could ‘Choose Their Look’ on ‘Dallas’
Priscilla Presley is best known as Elvis Presley‘s wife, but there’s more to her than meets the eye. The star has an impressive acting resume, and one of her most prominent roles was in the TV show Dallas. Presley recently broke down her wardrobe in the movie and said everyone could “choose their look” on Dallas.
Priscilla Presley left ‘Dallas’ after five seasons
Dallas debuted in 1978 to meager ratings. The first three seasons hang on by a thread with the ratings dwindling dangerously low. However, during the third season’s finale, the shooting of J.R. Ewing changed everything for the soap.
Soon everyone everywhere wanted to know what was happening with the oil tycoons that were the Ewing family, with more than 100 million people tuning in to the show. While it held no candle to the vastly popular Dynasty, Dallas was a hit on its own.
Presley played Jenna Krebbs, who also went by Jenna Wade from 1983 to 1988. She took over the mantle from Morgan Fairchild, who played Jenna in 1978, and Francine Tacker in 1980, and was the third actor to play the character.
The star was attracted to the character because she was “extremely self-reliant, has lived in Europe and has a child,” which Presley thought defined her to the tooth. Presley is usually more associated with the character as Jenna left when Presley left the series.
After playing Jenna for five seasons, the actor left the show to pursue other options. The show never mentioned Jenna again and retired the character after Presley’s exit in 1988.
Priscilla Presley said everyone could choose their look in ‘Dallas’
Dallas featured a wardrobe department that was well ahead of its time in the soap industry, and as it turns out, it was all thanks to the cast. Presley recently sat down with Vogue to break down her most iconic looks through the years.
When she got to her Dallas character, she looked back at it nostalgically, saying:
“This is actually my first scene, and I had fun because of, look at the dress I get to wear. And being my first scene, I tried so hard making sure that I got everything right … on the set of Dallas, you could pretty much choose your own look. I mean the designers would get the feel of what you like. Every one of us had a different look on Dallas so it kind of had to go with the character somewhat.”
Of her character, Presley said, “Jenna was very classy. She would have her own little style. But she was a newcomer and trying to fit in. Of course, in Dallas, everyone dressed up, so I loved that.”
Priscilla Presley passed up being an angel
Up until Elvis Presley’s death, Priscilla was known as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s wife. However, after he died, she began actively looking for acting jobs. According to Outsider, Presley was offered a spot on Charlie’s Angels as one of the angels, but she turned it down because she didn’t like the show’s concept.
The series became successful, ran from 1976 to 1981, and spawned several movies. Presley, however, said she didn’t regret turning the role down and congratulated the show for its excellent casting choices.
As for the roles she took on, Presley became a huge star appearing in The Naked Gun movies playing Jane Spencer in three films, which all did well at the box office. She also appeared in The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Melrose Place, and Spin City. Nowadays, she runs the Elvis Presley Enterprises and oversees Graceland.
