Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and producer best known for her starring role as Jeannie in the sitcom ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marr ...

'' (1965-1970). Other notable roles include Roslyn Pierce opposite

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

in '' Flaming Star'' (1960), Lieutenant (JG) Cathy Connors in ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara E ...

'' (1961) and a single widowed mother, Stella Johnson, in the film ''

Harper Valley PTA "Harper Valley P.T.A." is a country song written by Tom T. Hall which in 1968 became a major international hit single for country singer Jeannie C. Riley. Riley's record, her debut, sold over six million copies as a single, and it made her the ...

'' (1978). Due to the success of the film, Eden reprised her role as Stella Johnson in a two-season television series, ''

''.

Early years

Eden was born on August 23, 1931, in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive ...

, to Alice Mary (née Franklin) and Hubert Henry Morehead. She is a descendant of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a m ...

. (For decades, her year of birth was thought to be 1934.) After her parents' divorce, she and her mother moved to

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, where her mother married Harrison Connor Huffman, a telephone lineman, by whom she had a daughter, Eden's

half-sister A sibling is a relative that shares at least one parent with the subject. A male sibling is a brother and a female sibling is a sister. A person with no siblings is an only child. While some circumstances can cause siblings to be raised separ ...

. The Great Depression deeply affected the family and, as they were unable to afford many luxuries, Alice entertained her children with singing. Eden's first public performance was singing in the church choir, where she sang the solos. As a teenager, she sang in local bands (led by Howard Fredericks and Freddie Martin) for $10 (roughly equivalent to $157 in 2021) a night in night clubs. At age 16, she became a member of Actor's Equity, and studied singing at the

San Francisco Conservatory of Music The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of mus ...

and acting with the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theatre. She graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco in the Spring Class of 1949 and studied theater for one year at

City College of San Francisco City College of San Francisco (CCSF or City College) is a State school#United States, public community college in San Francisco, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1935, the college plays an important local ...

. As Barbara Huffman, she was elected Miss San Francisco in 1951 and she also entered the

Miss California The Miss California competition selects the representative for the state of California in the Miss America competition. The pageant began in Santa Cruz in 1924 and was held there in 1925. During the years 1926 through 1946 in years when the Mi ...

pageant.

Television and film roles

Eden began her television career as a semiregular on '' The Johnny Carson Show'' in 1955.Story, David. ''America on The Rerun'' 1993, p. 190, Citadel Press; She also made featured appearances on shows such as '' The West Point Story'', '' Highway Patrol'', ''

Private Secretary A private secretary (PS) is a civil servant in a governmental department or ministry, responsible to a secretary of state or minister; or a public servant in a royal household, responsible to a member of the royal family. The role exists in t ...

'', ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...

'', '' The Millionaire'', '' Target: The Corruptors!'', '' Crossroads'', '' Perry Mason'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'', '' December Bride'', '' Bachelor Father'', ''

Father Knows Best ''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six seasons and 203 episodes. Created by ...

'', '' Adventures in Paradise'', ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. Th ...

'', '' Cain's Hundred'', '' Saints and Sinners'', '' The Virginian'', '' Slattery's People'', '' The Rogues'', and the series finale of '' Route 66''. She guest starred in four episodes of '' Burke's Law'', playing different roles each time. She was an uncredited extra in the movie '' The Tarnished Angels'' with Rock Hudson, in partnership with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...

studios. She then starred in the syndicated comedy TV series '' How to Marry a Millionaire''. The series is based on the 1953 film of the same name. Film director

Mark Robson Mark Robson may refer to: * Mark Robson (film director) (1913–1978), Canadian-American film director and producer * Mark Robson (American writer), Scottish-American writer and expert in United States coins and stamps * Mark Robson (footballer) ...

, who later directed Eden in the movie '' From the Terrace'', took note of Eden's performance in a play with

James Drury James Child Drury Jr. (April 18, 1934 – April 6, 2020) was an American actor. He is best known for having played the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series '' The Virginian'', which was broadcast on NBC from 1962 ...

. and wanted her to work for 20th Century Fox studios. Her screen test was the

Joanne Woodward Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is an American actress. A star since the Golden Age of Hollywood, Woodward made her career breakthrough in the 1950s and earned esteem and respect playing complex women with a charact ...

role in ''

No Down Payment ''No Down Payment'' is a 1957 drama film directed by Martin Ritt. It was written by Philip Yordan, who fronted for an uncredited and blacklisted Ben Maddow, and is based on the novel of the same name by John McPartland. The film stars Joanne ...

'' (1957). Although she did not get the role, the studio gave Eden a contract. She did a screen test for the role of Betty Anderson in the 1957 film version of '' Peyton Place'', but Terry Moore got the role. She had minor roles in ''

Bailout at 43,000 ''Bailout at 43,000'' is a 1957 American drama film directed by Francis D. Lyon and written by Paul Monash. The film stars John Payne, Karen Steele, Paul Kelly, Richard Eyer, Constance Ford and Eddie Firestone. The film was released on May 1, ...

''; '' Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?''; and '' The Wayward Girl'', then became a leading lady in films, starring opposite Gary Crosby, Barry Coe, and Sal Mineo in '' A Private's Affair''. She had a co-starring role in '' Flaming Star'' (1960), with

. The following year, she played in a supporting role as Lt. Cathy Connors in

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film gen ...

's ''

''. She starred in '' The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm'', a Cinerama film directed by

George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen afte ...

for MGM, and another Irwin Allen production for 20th Century Fox, '' Five Weeks in a Balloon'' (1962). She was the female lead in the 1962 Fox comedy '' Swingin' Along'', starring Tommy Noonan and Peter Marshall, in their final joint screen appearance. She did a screen test with

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

for the 20th Century Fox movie ''

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in ...

'', but did not get the role. Her last film for 20th Century Fox was '' The Yellow Canary'' (1963). She left Fox and began guest starring in television shows and acting in films for MGM, Universal, and Columbia. She played supporting roles over the next few years, including '' The Brass Bottle'' and '' 7 Faces of Dr. Lao''.

''I Dream of Jeannie''

In 1965, producer

Sidney Sheldon Sidney Sheldon (February 11, 1917 – January 30, 2007) was an American writer. He was prominent in the 1930s, first working on Broadway plays, and then in motion pictures, notably writing the successful comedy '' The Bachelor and the Bobby-Sox ...

signed Eden to star in his upcoming fantasy sitcom ''I Dream of Jeannie'' for NBC. After various brunette starlets and beauty queens unsuccessfully tried out for the role, Eden was approached by Sheldon, who had seen her in '' The Brass Bottle'' and had received numerous recommendations for Eden from various colleagues. Eden played Jeannie, a beautiful

genie Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources) – are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic m ...

set free from her bottle by

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

and

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

(later Major) Anthony "Tony" Nelson, played by

Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dall ...

. Eden played this role for five years and 139 episodes. Additionally in eight episodes, Eden donned a brunette wig to portray Jeannie's evil sister (also named Jeannie) who lusts after Tony Nelson, and in two episodes played Jeannie's hapless mother.

Later career

After ''Jeannie'', Eden starred in an unaired pilot, ''The Barbara Eden Show'', as well as another pilot, ''The Toy Game''. Her first TV movie was called '' The Feminist and the Fuzz''. Although she is best known for comedy, most of these films were dramas, as when she starred opposite her ''Jeannie'' co-star Larry Hagman in '' A Howling in the Woods'' (1971). In '' The Stranger Within'' (1974), Eden played housewife Ann Collins, a woman impregnated by extraterrestrials. Later, Eden played a policewoman-turned-private detective investigating the disappearance of a missing heiress, in the critically acclaimed TV movie '' Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerfold Model?'' (1977). She starred in and co-produced, with her own production company (MI-Bar Productions), the NBC-TV romantic comedy movie '' The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick'' (1988). She also starred in and produced the romantic comedy TV movie '' Opposites Attract'' (1990), co-starring John Forsythe. In 1978, she starred in the feature film ''

'', based on the popular country song. This led to a namesake television series in 1981. In both the movie and the TV series, Eden played the protagonist Stella Johnson. It was a comedy version of '' Peyton Place'', with

Anne Francine Anne Hollingshead Francine (August 8, 1917 – December 3, 1999) was an American actress and cabaret singer. Biography Francine was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Philadelphia socialite parents Albert and Emilie Francine. She was raised on ...

playing wealthy villainess Flora Simpson Reilly. In one episode, Stella dressed in a blue and gold genie costume, and in another she played both Stella and her cousin Della Smith (similar to Jeannie's evil twin-sister character). It debuted January 16, 1981, winning 11 of its 13 time slots during the first season. It was renamed simply ''Harper Valley'' when it began its second season on October 29, 1981. During this time, Eden also became the spokeswoman for L'eggs

pantyhose Pantyhose, called sheer tights, or tights, are close-fitting legwear covering the wearer's body from the waist to the toes. Mostly considered to be a garment for women and girls, pantyhose first appeared on store shelves in 1959 for the adver ...

, and appeared in a series of print ads and TV commercials for the brand from 1979 to 1983. Barbara Eden Crop

From April 3 through September 16, 1984, Eden starred in the Lee Guber and Shelly Gross national production of the John Kander and Fred Ebb Tony Award-winning musical comedy '' Woman of the Year'', playing the role of Tess Harding Craig, alongside Don Chastain (as Sam Craig), and

Marilyn Cooper Marilyn Cooper (December 14, 1934 – April 22, 2009) was an American actress known primarily for her work on the Broadway stage. Life and career Born in New York City, Cooper made her Broadway debut in 1956 in the chorus of '' Mr. Wonderfu ...

. In 1990, Eden played a recurring role as a billionairess seeking revenge against

J.R. Ewing John Ross "J.R." Ewing Jr. is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' (1978–1991) and its spin-offs, including the revived ''Dallas'' series (2012–2014). The character was portrayed by Larry Hagman from the serie ...

in five episodes of the final season of ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'', as the captivating character LeeAnn de la Vega, reuniting her with Hagman. In her final episode, the character admits that her maiden name is Nelson (a production gag, as "Nelson" was the surname of Hagman's character and Eden's character's married name in ''I Dream of Jeannie''). In 1991 she starred in the stage play '' Same Time, Next Year'' with Wayne Rogers, and reprised her role of Jeannie in a television movie-of-the-week. In 1993, she starred in an 11-city national tour of the play '' Last of the Red Hot Lovers'' with

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...

. Eden starred in such musical comedies as '' Nite Club Confidential'' (playing the role of Kay Goodman, in 1996), ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

'', '' Annie Get Your Gun'', ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'' with

Robert Goulet Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Canad ...

, '' The Pajama Game'' with John Raitt, and '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' playing Lorelei Lee. She has been a musical guest star in many variety television shows, including 21

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

specials, ''

The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Ha ...

'', '' The Jonathan Winters Show'', '' The Jerry Lewis Show'', '' This Is Tom Jones'', '' Tony Orlando and Dawn'', and '' Donny and Marie''. She released an album titled ''Miss Barbara Eden'' in 1967 on Dot Records. From 2000 to 2004, Eden starred in the national touring production of the play '' The Odd Couple: The Female Version'' playing the role of Florence Unger opposite Rita MacKenzie as Olive Madison. In March 2006, Eden reunited with her former co-star Larry Hagman for a publicity tour in New York City to promote the first-season DVD of ''I Dream of Jeannie''. They appeared together on ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. ...

'', '' The View'', ''

Access Hollywood ''Access Hollywood'', formerly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was create ...

'', '' Entertainment Tonight'', '' Martha'', and '' Showbiz Tonight'', among other shows. In March 2006, Hagman and Eden again reunited, this time onstage in New York for '' Love Letters'' at the College of Staten Island, and at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in Ameri ...

. This was Eden's first return-visit to the academy since appearing in the 1956 Ziv Television Programs, '' The West Point Story.'' Eden starred in the play ''Love Letters'' with Hal Linden in 2006, and a guest-starring role on the

Lifetime Lifetime may refer to: * Life expectancy, the length of time a person is expected to remain alive Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Lifetime (band), a rock band from New Jersey * ''Life Time'' (Rollins Band album), by Rollins Band * ...

series '' Army Wives'', written and produced by her niece Katherine Fugate. In December 2008 she began filming the TV movie ''Always and Forever'' for the

Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies ...

, which aired in October 2009. In May 2013, Eden appeared with former US President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (Birth name, né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 ...

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

, and Fergie at the opening ceremony of the 21st Life Ball in Vienna, where Eden wore her famous Jeannie harem costume. In late 2013, Eden was cast in the movie ''One Song'', filmed in

Excelsior, Minnesota Excelsior is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. Excelsior's historic commercial district along Water Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the town has many Victorian archi ...

. Eden has also done voice work for the animated children's television series ''

Shimmer and Shine ''Shimmer and Shine'' is an American animated television series created by Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio. It premiered on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block on August 24, 2015, and ran for four seasons. The s ...

''.

Personal life: ''Jeannie Out of the Bottle''

Barbara Eden and son Matthew Ansara 1966

Eden wrote a memoir, ''Jeannie Out of the Bottle'', which was released on April 5, 2011, by Crown Archetype, a division of Random House. It debuted at number 14 on ''

The New York Times Best Seller List ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States.John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...

. ''Jeannie Out of the Bottle'' chronicles her personal life and Hollywood career of more than 50 years, and includes intimate details about her early childhood, her rise to popularity in her teens and early 20s, her co-stars over the years, and her work leading up to ''I Dream of Jeannie''. It also covers her marriages to Michael Ansara (1958–1974), Charles Fegert (1977–1982), and Jon Eicholtz (1991–present), and her "emotional breakdown" following the 2001 death of her son Matthew Ansara of a drug overdose. In June 2021, Eden revealed while talking about her children's book ''Barbara and the Djinn'', that she and her husband Jon Eicholtz had recovered from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...

Honors

On November 17, 1988, Eden received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

for her contributions to television. In 1990, the University of West Los Angeles School of Law granted Eden an honorary

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ( ...

degree.Story, David. ''America on The Rerun'' (1993), p. 197, Citadel Press; .

Filmography

Feature films

Television films

Television series

Selected stage productions

Discography

Singles

Albums

Books

*Eden, Barbara, and Warburton, Dustin. ''Barbara and the Djinn.'' Neighborhood Publishers. 2021 *Eden, Barbara, and Leigh, Wendy. ''Jeannie out of the Bottle.'' Norwalk, CT: Easton Press. 2011. *Smith, Joe. ''Las Vegas Celebrity Cookbook: The private recipes of 50 international entertainers.'' Hollybrooke House. 1982.

Audiobooks

* 2011: ''Jeannie Out of the Bottle'', with Wendy Leigh (read by the author), Random House Audio,

References

External links

* * * *
Archive
emmytvlegends.org; accessed August 23, 2015.
Interview with Barbara Eden
elvis.com.au; accessed February 24, 2014
Barbara Eden article
nydailynews.com; accessed August 23, 2015.
Biodata
biography.com; accessed August 23, 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Eden, Barbara 1931 births Living people American film actresses American television actresses American stage actresses American musical theatre actresses American women singers Actresses from San Francisco Actresses from Tucson, Arizona Singers from San Francisco Singers from Arizona 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses