‘I Dream of Jeannie’ star Barbara Eden’s pictures say two things: She has undeniably aged like fine wine and loves the color red. And at 91 (and six decades’ worth of career), the woman is still serving. Come with us down memory lane and see her life’s most memorable moments.
Who is Barbara Eden?
Before becoming the iconic Jeannie (an actual genie), Barbara Eden was known as Barbara Jean Morehead of Tucson, Arizona. She was born on August 23, 1931, to parents Alice Mary and Hubert Henry Morehead.
After the couple divorced, Mary moved to San Francisco with Eden and eventually remarried. But things weren’t always easy, especially during the Great Depression. They found themselves unable to afford many luxuries. So, Mary would often sing to Eden and her half-sister instead to entertain them.
And that’s why it wasn’t surprising that Eden grew to love music. At an early age, she started out performing publicly in a church choir where she sang solos.
Then growing up as a teenager, she would join local bands, performing in nightclubs for $10 per night. At 16, she pursued singing and acting – studying at both the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theatre – and became a member of Actor’s Equity.
When she graduated in 1949 from Abraham Lincoln High School, she enrolled at the City College of San Francisco, where she majored in theater. She also joined different pageants, including Miss California. After that, Eden started booking roles in various big-screen and small-screen shows.
1955: TV debut with The Johnny Carson Show
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Barbara Eden made her TV debut in 1955 on CBS Television City’s The Johnny Carson Show with Johnny Carson and guest Rudy Vallee. She was a semi-regular on the show with 13 (according to her count) appearances. During that time, she was still known as Barbara Huffman.
In 1962, Carson replaced Jackson Paar as host of The Tonight Show. Then in 1981, on the show’s Season 19 Episode 128, Eden again made a guest appearance along with Bobby Kelton and Arnold Roth.
1958: The First Husband, Michael Ansara
Eden met her first husband and fellow actor, Michael Ansara, while he was filming his hit series ‘Broken Arrow.’ They were married for 16 years, from 1958 to 1974, and shared one son named Matthew, who died in 2001 from a heroin overdose.
In an interview with PEOPLE in 2021, Eden shared that becoming a mom was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to her. It was a miracle having a baby; she always got goosebumps whenever she thought about it.
1960: ‘Flaming Star’ with Elvis Presley
Eden debuted on the big screen with the 1956 film “Back to Eternity.” Then in the early 1960s, she starred in a handful of films, including one with Elvis Presley titled “Flaming Star.” It was a Western drama adapted from the 1958 book ‘Flaming Lance’ by Clair Huffaker. She played the leading role of Roslyn Pierce alongside Presley’s Pacer Burton.
The film ranked 12 on the box office charts.
1962: The Andy Griffith Show
During the early ‘60s, Eden was featured on several small-screen shows, including ‘The Andy Griffith Show.’ In the episode, she played the role of Ellen Brown, the lady manicurist who arrived in Mayberry and set up her manicure business in Floyd’s barbershop.
Needless to say, she nailed it.
1965: ‘I Dream of Jeannie’
However, it wasn’t until she landed the role of Jeannie in Sidney Sheldon’s fantasy sitcom ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ in 1965 that she got her big break in Hollywood (and really set her life). The show followed ABC’s hit 1964 series ‘Bewitched’ and Sheldon herself offered the lead character to Eden after seeing her in ‘The Brass Bottle.’
Eden co-starred with Larry Hagman, who played the astronaut she fell in love with. The sitcom ran from 1965 to 1970 for five seasons. It earned Eden two Golden Globe nominations: Best TV Actress for Comedy or Musical and Best TV Star.
In 1991, Columbia Pictures produced the film ‘I Still Dream of Jeannie’ based on the original series. Barbara Eden and Bill Daily were the only two regular cast members who reprised their roles.
1977: The Second Husband, Charles Fegert
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Three years after Eden and Ansara divorced, she married Chicago Sun-Times executive Charles Fegert. Unfortunately, five years into their marriage, they split.
1978: Harper Valley PTA
After ‘I Dream of Jeannie,’ Eden landed another iconic role with the feature film “Harper Valley PTA” based on the 1968 country song of the same title written by Tom T. Hall. NBC picked up the film as a sitcom, and Eden reprised her wild, single mom role. It ran for over a year – from January 1981 until August 1982.
1984: ‘Woman of the Year’
Eden joined the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Woman of the Year’ for its national tour as the TV news commentator Tess Harding. Following this, she also participated in a number of national musical productions, including ‘Last of the Red Hot Lovers’ with Don Knotts in 1993 and ‘The Odd Couple: The Female Version’ from 2000 to 2004.
1988: Hollywood Walk of Fame
After years of celebrated work on TV, Eden was finally honored with her very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 17, 1988. And she looked so stylish in her matching red suit (paired with sheer black stockings) when she received it.
1991: The Third Husband, Jon Eicholtz
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It took some before Eden decided to walk down the aisle again. But when she did, it was for the last time.
She married architect and real estate developer Jon Eicholtz in 1991, and they’re still together now. According to the actress, she was very lucky to have such a supportive husband just like him. She adds that the secret behind their long marriage (30 years, as of writing) is compromising.
“I think you have to like each other a lot. No, you really do,” she shared with Closer. She insisted that there are times when you have to be willing to choose them over you. In her case, she would watch sports with him not because she liked it but because she adored him so much.
They currently live in Beverly Hills.
Aside from her marriage with Eicholtz that year, she also starred in the TV film “Her Wicked Ways,” where she played an ambitious young reporter.
2002: NBC 75th Anniversary
Eden never fails to make a stunning entrance. In 2002, she had everyone’s jaw-dropping with her dreamy look in a simple red dress and pearls.
2010: 50th Anniversary of Hollywood Walk of Fame
The actress again attended the 50th anniversary of the Hollywood Walk of Fame in November 2010, clad in red. She wore a red pantsuit with a white top underneath paired and a matching red purse and heels.
2011: Jeannie Out of the Bottle
Eden’s memoir titled ‘Jeannie Out of the Bottle’ was released in April 2011 and chronicled her successful career and personal life – her three marriages and the untimely death of her son Matthew. The book debuted at number 14 on The New York Times bestseller list.
2012: Death of Larry Hagman
Hagman and Eden developed a close friendship over the years. The two first worked together in 1965 in ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ and then reunited onscreen in the 1971 film “A Howling in the Woods.” She also made a guest appearance on his 1990 series ‘Dallas.’ More than a decade later, they once again shared the limelight with their onstage production of ‘Love Letters’ in New York.
They remained good friends until the death of the actor in 2012. In her tribute message, Eden said that the industry didn’t just lose a great actor or a TV icon. It lost ‘an element of pure Americana.’ “Goodbye Larry, there was no one like you before and there will never be anyone like you again.”
2013: Vienna Life Ball
Eden again appeared on stage dressed in her iconic ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ costume and performed for the Vienna Life Ball on May 25, 2013.
Before she went onstage, she first made her striking red carpet entrance with her glittery gold dress and genie bottle. It seemed like she hadn’t aged so much since her first appearance on the hit sitcom!
2015: Fashion Week
No one could do red like Barbara Eden, so it wasn’t surprising at all that she was invited to the Go Red For Women show. She wore a lovely red ensemble – from her makeup to her dress and purse down to her nails. She even had a backstage chat with Zendaya, who looked equally stunning.
2018: VIVID Grand Show
Eden took a break from red with her glowing purple look when she attended the Grand Preview for the VIVID Grand Show in Berlin, Germany. It wasn’t just the top and the pants, her purse was also purple, her heels were lilac, and her accessories were adorned with purple stones.
2019: A Christmas Film
Her most recent acting role was as Mrs. Claus for the Christmas film “My Adventures with Santa.” She did the film with Denise Richards and Patrick Muldoon.
She also attended the New York screening of ‘Captain Marvel’ that year, wearing a black suit and posing like Jeannie.
2023: Remus Pre-Award Tea Time
Last March 8, 2023, Eden stepped out in a stunning navy silk blouse, black slacks, and pointed heels for the Remus Pre-Award Tea Time at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Of course, she didn’t forget to strike her iconic ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ pose.
There we have it. That is the life of Barbara Eden, a timeless beauty who will always stun wherever she goes. Laslty, we hope you’ve enjoyed these Barbara Eden pictures we’ve shared too.
