Hollywood Legend Barbara Eden Has Exceptional Sense Of Humour Despite Tragedy In Her Life

Aug 24, 2021 by apost team

America's favorite Jeannie in a bottle, Barbara Eden, turns 90 years old today, much to the shock of everyone who has ever enjoyed watching the acting expertise of this blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty on screen or on television. 

Barbara Eden, the beautiful "Jeannie in a bottle," was born in Tucson, Arizona, on August 23, 1931. Her parents later divorced, and Eden has a half-sister from her mother's subsequent remarriage. This Virgo's career initially started with her singing in the church choir, in which she sang the solos. Later, in her teens, she would sing in several bands performing in local clubs for about $10 (equivalent to about $130 nowadays) a night. 

When she was 16, she became an Actor's Equity member and started to study singing at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as well as acting at the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theater. Meanwhile, she repeatedly participated in beauty pageants and even won the Miss San Francisco title in 1951, which propelled her onto the Miss California pageant.

The nostalgia of 1970s television shows certainly emanates an aura of charm, and one such long-running show at the forefront was "I Dream of Jeannie," starring Barbara Eden. The show's plot involved American astronaut Tony Nielson, played by Larry Hagman. Apparently, Hagman lands slightly off-course on a deserted island and unwittingly finds an unusual but beautiful bottle. He does the foreseeable rub on the bottle and out pops a beautiful Jeannie as a pixie-faced, blonde-haired beauty named Barbara Eden.

Read on to learn more about the famed actress in honor of her 90th birthday.

The long-running sitcom combined early space travel with a series of comical faux pas caused by Jeannie and her naïve attempt at "mortal" existence without using her magical powers. Her antics must be hidden by Nielson in order to protect her from the public while also protecting his high-security employment. Obviously, surreptitious yet suggested romance permeates the entire plot. The only other 1970s sitcom that was so successful at combining reality with fiction was likely "Bewitched."

As the casting for the role of Jeannie opened, producer Sidney Sheldon failed to find an actress who could deliver the role as he had originally intended it. There was one specific rule, however: Sheldon wanted no blonde genie since he felt this would bear too many similarities to the actress on "Bewitched." But after many unsuccessful auditions, he eventually contacted Barbara Eden's agent, and she landed the part that would soon become her most iconic role.

Other Memorable Works 

Harper Valley PTA: However, this long-lived sitcom was not her only appearance in the film industry. In 1978, Eden played the lead role in the movie "The Harper Valley PTA." Eden was the unfairly maligned and disreputable mom of a teenaged daughter who gets her point across almost entirely through the words of a country song made famous by Tom T. Hall. If you have ever heard the song "The Harper Valley PTA," then you certainly understand that her character was the target of maligned jealousy.

Rider of the Wild Surf: Barbara Eden's pretty 32-year-old face was framed by a milder auburn shade in her character as Augie Poole in the 1964 beachside romance, "Rider of the Wild Surf," during the nebulous Vietnam War era. The film did a fair job, but it was not her most shining moment. It is, however, a fun nostalgic trip down memory lane, especially if you want to see Eden in a modest swimsuit.

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Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Not everyone knows that Eden's 70s sojourn in a magical bottle was not her first "trip," nor was it her first military exposure. Her role as Lt. Cathy Connors in the series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" enlisted her in the Navy instead of the Air Force. Their mission involved experimenting with an atomic submarine and nuclear missiles up against a radiation belt. It was all pretty deep, and unlike the light comedy offered in her later, I Dream of Jeannie role.

On top of her television and movie acting work, Eden has branched out into the theater as well. Over the years, she's appeared in "The Odd Couple," "Love Letters," and "Social Security," some of which toured in major cities across the United States, as well as in the musicals "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "The Sound of Music," among others. In total, she's acted in 25 feature films, five network TV series, 19 top-rated network made-for-TV movies, appeared on concert stages and in theaters across the United States and even headlined casinos and hotel resorts in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Lake Tahoe. What an incredibly diverse portfolio that the actress has been able to achieve in her lifetime. But while some might be content with that body of work, Barbara Eden has no plans on quitting acting. In a 2000 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, she discussed how important it was for her to continue working:

"Oh it's very important for me to keep working. I, first of all, I enjoy my work, but I can't imagine ever retiring. I hope there will be parts for me as a little old lady...but of course as you grow older there aren't as many parts for you, but I understand that but I still want to work."

Luckily for Barbara Eden, and for us, she is still working, even if it's not as frequently as in her heydey. Her last movie appearance was as Mrs. Claus in the 2019 film "My Adventures With Santa." And her incredible work hasn't gone unnoticed, with the actress receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1988. She has also earned numerous industry honors, including being listed as one of America's 200 Greatest Pop Icons of the 20th Century, as decided by People Magazine. She's also received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Broadcasting Hall of Fame, the TV Land Television Network, and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Eden is also incredibly patriotic—during the Persian Gulf war, she traveled with Bob Hope to the Middle East to perform for the troops as part of an eight-day whirlwind trip around the world to entertain military servicemen during the holiday season. She's even performed at the White House! Back in 2002, Eden was invited by President Bush to celebrate Christmas at the White House's Lighting of the National Christmas Tree event. She sang the Christmas classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

On top of her professional career, Barbara has had an eventful personal life too, which she documented in her memoir, "Jeannie Out of the Bottle," which was released in 2011. The autobiography chronicles 50 of her 89 years and includes her three marriages and the tragic loss of her only child, a son named Matthew, to a drug overdose in 2001, and her emotional breakdown following his death. 

She opened up about the tragic story in an ABC interview from 2006. Her son had been struggling for 16 years, many of which she and her husband were completely in the dark about his troubles. However, things had started to look positive "because he was making progress…he was winning the war." But then it all came crashing down suddenly when Matthew passed away.

After mourning the loss of her son, Eden is now committed to helping parents who might be going through something similar with their children. She told ABC, explaining that it's up to parents to get inquisitive if they suspect something isn't right, as she said:

"I think we have come to a point in our lives now where we have to give up a little bit of that privacy with our children. You get in those drawers. You find out what's going on."

Despite the hardships Barbara Eden has faced, the actress is still able to enjoy the simple things. She documents her life on her Instagram page, and it's clear the 90-year-old is enjoying herself. From behind-the-scenes photos of her acting productions to throwback pictures from her past, Eden's social media account has plenty to offer.

What's more, she even posts photos of her adorable Labradoodle puppy named Bentley, who just celebrated his first birthday in December 2020. The toffee-colored pup is too cute for words and isn't the first Labradoodle the actress has owned. On her website, she's pictured with another Labradoodle that's chocolate-colored and named Djinn Djinn. Clearly, Barbara Eden cares a lot for animals, and her positive social media page shows that there is a lot to be thankful for no matter what stage of life you're in.

Such long-lived beauty and success in the limelight are rare in Hollywood. Show your allegiance to this lovely lady who has shown such timeless elegance and beauty by mentioning this age-defying Jeannie and discussing her with your friends! Happy 90th, Barbara!