Barbara Eden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barbara Eden
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Eden in August 2022
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Barbara Jean Morehead
August 23, 1931 Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
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| Other names | Barbara Huffman |
| Alma mater | San Francisco Conservatory of Music |
| Occupation | Actress |
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| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Katherine Fugate (niece) |
Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead on August 23, 1931) is a famous American actress and singer. She is best known for playing the magical character Jeannie in the popular TV show I Dream of Jeannie from 1965 to 1970. She also appeared in movies like Flaming Star (1960) with Elvis Presley and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961). Later, she starred as Stella Johnson in the comedy film Harper Valley PTA (1978) and its TV series.
Barbara Eden started singing in bands when she was a teenager. She also took lessons for singing and acting. In 1955, she began her TV career on The Johnny Carson Show and other series. By 1957, she was a star in the comedy TV show How to Marry a Millionaire. She also performed in plays. Her first big movie role was in A Private's Affair in 1959.
After I Dream of Jeannie, Barbara Eden took on many serious acting roles. She also performed in musical comedies and appeared on TV variety shows. She even released an album and performed for the USO for soldiers. She continued to act and make public appearances even at 90 years old. As of 2024, she still attends fan events like comic-cons.
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Barbara Eden's Early Life
Barbara Eden was born on August 23, 1931, in Tucson, Arizona. Her parents were Alice Mary and Hubert Henry Morehead. She is even related to Benjamin Franklin! For a long time, people thought she was born in 1934.
After her parents divorced, Barbara and her mother moved to San Francisco. Her mother married Harrison Connor Huffman, a telephone lineman. Barbara grew up in the Parkside neighborhood of San Francisco. Her family has lived in San Francisco for many generations. She remembers stories about her grandmother arriving in a covered wagon and her grandfather on a clipper ship.
The Great Depression made life hard for her family. They didn't have much money for fun things. So, Barbara's mother would sing to entertain her children. Barbara remembers her family being "very musical."
How Barbara Started Performing
Barbara's first public performance was singing solos in her church choir. As a teenager, she sang in local bands. When she was 16, she studied singing at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She also learned acting at the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theatre.
She finished high school at Abraham Lincoln High School in 1949. Then, she studied theater for a year at City College of San Francisco. In 1951, using the name Barbara Huffman, she was chosen as Miss San Francisco. She also competed in the Miss California pageant.
Barbara Eden's TV and Movie Career
Barbara Eden started her TV career in 1955 on The Johnny Carson Show. She also appeared on many other shows. These included I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, and Father Knows Best. She guest-starred in four episodes of Burke's Law, playing a different character each time. She also had a small, uncredited role in the movie The Tarnished Angels. Later, she starred in the TV comedy How to Marry a Millionaire. This show was based on a 1953 movie.
Film director Mark Robson noticed Barbara in a play. He wanted her to work for 20th Century Fox studios. She did a screen test for a movie role but didn't get it. However, the studio still offered her a contract. She had small roles in a few movies. Then, she became a leading actress in films like A Private's Affair (1959). She also co-starred with Elvis Presley in Flaming Star (1960).
The next year, she played Lt. Cathy Connors in Irwin Allen's movie Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. She also appeared in The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm and another Irwin Allen film, Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962). Her last movie for 20th Century Fox was The Yellow Canary (1963). After leaving Fox, she guest-starred on TV and acted in films for other studios. She played supporting roles in movies like The Brass Bottle and 7 Faces of Dr. Lao.
Starring in I Dream of Jeannie
In 1965, producer Sidney Sheldon chose Barbara Eden to star in his new fantasy comedy show, I Dream of Jeannie, for NBC. Many actresses had tried out for the role, but Sidney Sheldon had seen Barbara in The Brass Bottle. He also heard good things about her from his friends.
Barbara played Jeannie, a beautiful genie who is freed from her bottle. An astronaut named Captain Anthony "Tony" Nelson, played by Larry Hagman, finds her. Barbara played Jeannie for five years and in 139 episodes.
Musicals and TV Movies in the 1970s
Barbara Eden starred in many musical comedies. These included The Sound of Music, Annie Get Your Gun, and South Pacific. She also played Lalune in a TV version of Kismet in 1967. From 1984, she starred in the national tour of Woman of the Year.
She was a musical guest on many TV variety shows. These included 21 Bob Hope specials, The Carol Burnett Show, and Donny and Marie. In 1967, she released an album called Miss Barbara Eden. She also performed for long periods in Las Vegas.
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After Jeannie, Barbara Eden starred in several TV movies. Her first TV movie was The Feminist and the Fuzz (1971). Even though she was known for comedy, many of these films were dramas. She starred with her Jeannie co-star Larry Hagman in A Howling in the Woods (1971). In The Stranger Within (1974), she played a woman who becomes pregnant by aliens. Later, she played a policewoman who becomes a private detective in Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerfold Model? (1977). She also produced and starred in other romantic comedy TV movies.
Harper Valley PTA and Later Career
In 1978, Barbara Eden starred in the movie Harper Valley PTA. This film was based on a popular country song. The movie then led to a TV series with the same name in 1981. In both the movie and the TV show, Barbara played the main character, Stella Johnson. It was a comedy show. In one episode, Stella even wore a blue and gold genie costume! The show was very popular in its first season.
In 1990, Barbara Eden had a recurring role in five episodes of the TV show Dallas. She played LeeAnn de la Vega, a rich character seeking revenge. This reunited her with Larry Hagman, her co-star from I Dream of Jeannie. In her last episode, her character revealed her maiden name was Nelson, a fun nod to their previous show. In 1991, she starred in the play Same Time, Next Year. She also played Jeannie again in a TV movie. In 1993, she toured in the play Last of the Red Hot Lovers with Don Knotts.
From 2000 to 2004, she toured in the play The Odd Couple: The Female Version. She played Florence Unger. In March 2006, Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman reunited to promote the I Dream of Jeannie DVD. They appeared on many TV shows together. They also performed together in the play Love Letters in New York. Barbara also had a guest role on the TV series Army Wives. In October 2009, she starred in the TV movie Always and Forever.
In May 2013, Barbara Eden appeared with former US President Bill Clinton and Elton John at an event in Vienna. She even wore her famous Jeannie costume! She also did voice work for the animated children's TV series Shimmer and Shine.
Barbara Eden's Personal Life
Barbara Eden wrote a book about her life called Jeannie Out of the Bottle. It was published on April 5, 2011. The book became a best-seller.
Jeannie Out of the Bottle shares details about her life and acting career. It talks about her childhood, how she became famous, and her co-stars. It also covers her marriages to Michael Ansara, Charles Fegert, and Jon Eicholtz. The book also mentions the passing of her son, Matthew Ansara, in 2001.
In June 2021, Barbara Eden shared that she and her husband, Jon Eicholtz, had recovered from COVID-19. In 2023, she celebrated her 92nd birthday. She said her life is focused on her family, her home, her husband, her dog Bentley, and her friends.
Honors and Awards
On November 17, 1988, Barbara Eden received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This was to honor her work in television. In 1990, the University of West Los Angeles law school gave her an honorary law degree.
Images for kids
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Barbara Eden with her son Matthew Ansara in 1966.
See also
In Spanish: Barbara Eden para niños
