It’s hard to believe that the one and only Barbara Eden, whose sparkling charm lit up our screens in the late '60s with I Dream of Jeannie, just celebrated her 90th birthday. This legendary actress, with a career spanning decades, is as vibrant and full of life as ever. In a candid conversation with Closer, Barbara shares her secrets to staying young at heart. "The secret to feeling great is simple: stay active, do what you love, and keep that sense of humor," she reveals with a twinkle in her eye.
A Journey That Started with a Dream
Barbara’s journey to fame didn’t happen overnight. Before becoming a household name, she was a young woman in San Francisco, studying voice at the Conservatory of Music. But her mom had an epiphany that changed everything. "Barbara, you don’t sound like you mean a word you’re singing," her mother told her one day. "Maybe you should study acting too." That simple advice set her on a path to theater classes and, eventually, to Los Angeles, where her career would take off in ways she could never have imagined. "I was lucky because I didn’t know what I was doing!" she laughs. But luck only takes you so far—Barbara’s talent and determination did the rest.
From Guest Star to Leading Lady
Barbara’s early career was a whirlwind of guest appearances on iconic shows like I Love Lucy and Route 66, along with films opposite legends like Paul Newman and Elvis Presley. She recalls her agent's advice: "Barbara, wear the dress!"—a modest yet alluring outfit that defined her style. Over time, she gravitated toward roles that showcased her impeccable comic timing, proving she was more than just a pretty face.
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The Magic of Jeannie
When I Dream of Jeannie came knocking, the creators weren’t exactly envisioning Barbara for the role of the 2,000-year-old Persian genie. "They were testing tall brunette beauty contest winners—Miss Greece, Miss Italy," she recalls. But fate intervened when she met series creator Sidney Sheldon over tea. "I had worked with Jeannie’s writers before, and that’s how I got the job," she says with a smile. However, landing the role was only the beginning of her challenges.
Barbara learned she was pregnant on the very day the show was greenlit. "I told Sidney immediately, expecting to be fired," she admits. But instead of letting her go, Sidney worked around her pregnancy, inspired by Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery, who paved the way for pregnant actresses on television. "She had two babies during the show," Barbara says with admiration. "She changed the game for all of us."
Behind the Scenes: Challenges and Chemistry
Working with Larry Hagman, who played her bumbling astronaut master, Tony Nelson, brought its own set of challenges. Larry struggled with alcoholism, but Barbara insists he was always a kind soul. "We clicked right away," she says fondly. Their on-screen chemistry was so convincing that it even worried the network’s Standards and Practices Department. "It got to the point where Jeannie wasn’t allowed in Tony’s bedroom—or even her smoke!" Barbara jokes, revealing the absurd lengths networks went to back then.
