Barbara Eden, 91, has been acting for an astonishing 7 decades and is still going strong.
The actress, singer, and producer is best recognized for her part in “I Dream of Jeannie,” which premiered in 1965, despite having appeared on our screens ten years before.
Generations of television viewers have watched I Dream of Jeannie, a popular 1960s sitcom about an astronaut who returns home with a 2,000-year-old female genie.
Despite the ridiculousness of the premise, audiences watched and laughed because of Barbara Eden, the stunning and accomplished actress who played Jeannie.
Fans might find it hard to believe, but Barbara is 91 years old!
Although she hasn’t appeared on television in her iconic harem outfit in a long, she is still alive and well.
Barbara’s life hasn’t always been easy.
Barbara Eden was born in Tucson, Arizona, United States, in 1931. After her parents divorced, she relocated to San Francisco and began studying singing at the Conservatory of Music.
Barbara used to play in small bands at neighborhood bars in Golden Gate City when she was a kid. However, she ultimately decided to pursue acting as well.
“‘Barbara, you don’t sound like you mean a word you’re singing,’ my mother observed. “I believe you should study acting as well,” Eden recalled.
After deciding that acting was the right match for her, she relocated to Los Angeles and began appearing on some of the best series of the 1950s.
She initially appeared on television in 1955 as a semi-regular guest on The Johnny Carson Show, but her part in the iconic fantasy sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie” propelled her to fame.
The Arizona native portrayed Jeannie, a seductive genie freed from her bottle by astronaut and US Air Force Captain Anthony “Tony” Nelson, played by Larry Hagman.
“We just… clicked. We had the same beat. “Whatever we were doing yielded the same truth,” Eden explained.
“I liked him. You must work hard to like some actors… and file it in another box in your mind. But I never had to do it with Larry. He was always present.”
She played the role for five years, including appearances as Jeannie’s mother and spiteful sister. Eden’s harem costume, which was considered risqué for television at the time, helped Jeannie gain popularity.
“Executives at NBC got very frightened,” she told Today in 2015, near the show’s 50th anniversary. “They became very strict about the navel.”
After her friend and columnist Mike Connolly began mocking her over the situation, Eden claimed that a different, much earlier interview with the Hollywood Reporter led to the legend’s spread.
“When Mike came in and started teasing me about my belly button, it spread like fire worldwide. We had a good time with it, and I would tease him back, but I had no idea it would become something.”
Eden’s classic attire also served to establish her as a TV s3x idol for many people, including famous admirers such as John F. Kennedy (who messaged her his phone number) and Elvis Presley.
“I binned the piece of paper, but I wish I still had it,” the actress wrote in her 2011 memoir, Jeannie Out of the Bottle.
Eden has appeared in over 50 films and, at 91 years old, is still working.
She played Mrs. Claus in her most recent film, My Adventures with Santa, which came out in 2019. Melissa Gardner made her theatrical debut in “Love Letters” the same year the picture was made.
“I feel young!” Barbara added that she considered herself lucky to do the job she chose. “I feel sorry for people like my poor father who had to work every day at something he didn’t like. I enjoy my work. I still work.”
Barbara reported that she had continued to visit the gym, do spin classes, and lift weights until a few years ago. Now, a trainer comes to her house to help her with resistance training, and the two go on a walk.
“I have a lot of friends,” the TV legend said. “I’m pretty active socially.”
She even has an appearance lined up for March 2022.
“If I’m around, I’ll be there; I like it,” she jokingly said.
Along with authoring children’s books, Barbara enjoys performing. She co-wrote a book called Barbara and the Djinn about a young girl named Barbara who encounters a “charming and wizardly Genie” who takes her on adventures that are somewhat similar to those in her famous role.
She says she hopes her books will help children realize the value of reading, “now all they do is look at telephones!”
Barbara dismisses the idea that “I Dream of Jeannie” might come across as a bit dated for today’s viewers.
“Come now, this is a classic theme,” she said. “One Thousand and One Nights’? This is a lovely, wonderful fantasy.”
“And let’s be honest here, she was in the driver’s seat, you know. She wasn’t subservient at all.”
Barbara Eden has lived an incredible life thanks to her encouraging attitude and enthusiasm. She proves that age is just a number.
Please share if you, too, admire this renowned actress.
