Barbara Eden is an American actress and tv star. She has been active in the world of cinema for more than five decades now. The actress is known for her charming and bubbly style of acting.
At the peak of her career, she was a household name in America. She is most popularly known for a character named “Jeanni” she played in a tv sitcom.
Barbara started young and became a successful actor in her adulthood. The actress has played roles in all forms of film on tv as well as in the cinema.
Apart from movies and filmmaking, Barbara also had a career in music in her early years. The actress has been open about her thoughts all her life. She has also written several books that take inspiration from her life and her works.
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Some Quick Facts
Name | Barbara Eden |
Full Name | Barbara Jean Morehead |
Date of Birth | August 23, 1931 |
Birth Place | Tucson, Arizona |
Age | 92 years old |
Father’s Name | Hubert Henry Morehead |
Mother’s Name | Alice Mary |
Siblings | 1 |
Height | 5 feet 4 inches |
Nationality | American |
Sexuality | Straight |
Ethnicity | White |
Occupation | Actor and Musician |
Eye Color | Blue |
Hair Color | Blonde |
Wife/ Girlfriend | Jon Eicholtz |
Marital Status | married |
Net Worth | $10 million |
Social Media Presence | Instagram, Twitter |
Last Updated | March 2023 |
Barbara Eden Early Life, Parents, and Siblings
Barbara was born into a middle-class family. Her father’s name is Hubert Henry Morehead, and her mother’s name is Alice Mary.
Her parents divorced when she was still young. She then migrated to San Francisco, where her mother married Harrison Connor Huffman.
Her family was badly affected by the depression in the 30s. During this period, they had a hard time because of financial instability.
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Barbara began learning music at 16 after becoming a part of Actor’s Equity. She attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She later went to Elizabeth Holloway School of Theatre.
Eden had also taken part in the Miss California Pageant. Her first experience in front of the camera was for an uncredited role of a college girl in Back From Eternity.
Barbara Eden Age and Height
Barbar Eden was born on 23rd August 1931. Her age is 92 years old. The actress has been consistently working in the film industry for more than 70 years now.
Eden played her first role as a character named Toni DeWitt when in a tv-series named West Point. She was just 24 when she played her first role.
Talking about her physique, Eden height is 5 ft 4 inches. She has blue-colored eyes and blonde hair. The actress is still in great health because of a strict diet and exercise.
Barbara Eden Career
Barbara began her professional career with West Point in the year 1956. Since then, the actress has been credited for her works in more than 90 works of cinema, including movies, tv-series, and shows.
Her last work was in a movie named My Adventures with Santa, where she started as Mrs. Claus. She was appreciated for her work in a film named From the Terrace.
She played the role of a character named Clemmie Shreve in the movie. I Dream of Jeannie has been the most popular and successful work of her life.
The actress plays the role of the lead character Jeannie in the sitcom. She played the role for more than five years. Along with the role of Jeannie, she also played Jeannie’s evil twin and Jeannie’s mother at different periods.
Other movies and tv-shows she has worked on include Shimmer and Shine, Army Wives, George Lopez, Carolina, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Teamo Supremo, Nite Club Confidential, etc.
The 1 Scene That Ended The Show “I Dream of Jeannie” Forever
I Dream of Jeannie was one of the famous shows in 1965. The show ran for five years until 1975 and lasted for five seasons.
The Tv show would go on for longer if the episode were not aired. The duo Eden and Hagman had beautiful chemistry that mesmerized every fan.
Their chemistry was awesome, and fans could sense something was happening between them. To increase the viewership for the show, NBC staged a fake wedding for the duo one week prior to the wedding episode that was going to air.
Surprisingly journalists, Tv writers, and every celebrity from the country were invited to their fake wedding to make it look like they had plenty of guests. Eden was well aware that the wedding episode would fail, which was totally against the plan.
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The show turned out to be a disaster when Eden the Jeannie was going to get married to Hagman, the human. The show once had a rule that the Jeannie could not be pictured but at the wedding, there were many photographers, yet they were photographed.
Even more, the tv show was about the build-up of sexual tension between Tony and Jeannie. As she married another guy, the tension went all away.
Fans loathed the public stunt, called their wedding insincere, and eventually turned up against the actors and character. When the wedding episode was aired, fans were tremendously disappointed.
Awards and Honours
Eden received her first honor in 1988 when she received her star on the Walk of Fame. She later went on to win the 2003 Favorite Dual-Role Character at TV Land Award.
Eden received it for the role of Jeannie and her evil twin. She also won Best Female TV Star at the Bravo Otto Germany in 1972.
Music and Other Works
- Apart from being an actress, she was also rising music and pop star. She has released a total of 4 singles in her career. Three of her songs, namely Bend-It, Rebel, and Pledge of Love, were released under Dot Records.
- She later went on to release her last song, Window Jones, under the label of Plantation Records.
- The actress has written a total of three books. Her first one was a cookbook named Las Vegas Celebrity Cookbook: The Private Recipes of 50 International Entertainers.
- She later wrote a personal memoir published in 2011 named Jeannie out of the Bottle. Eden recently published her third book, which goes by the name Barbara and Djinn.
- Her second book Jeannie Out of the Bottle, covers the most important moments of her life. She has details about her relationship and marriages, and life as a celebrity.
Who is Barbara Eden Husband?
Eden began dating Michael Ansara and married him in January of 1958. The couple divorced in 1974. She has one child from her relationship with Michael Ansara.
After her first relationship, Eden married Charles Donald Fegert, an Executive at the Chicago Sun-Times. The couple ended their relationship with divorce in 1983.
She then went on to marry Jon Eicholtz in 1991. Jon Eicholtz is a professional architect as well as involved in philanthropy. The couple is still married and has been going strong since their meeting.
Barbara Eden Net Worth 2023
Barbara Eden net worth is $10 million. Most of her wealth is thanks to her roles in movies and TV series. She has also learned quite a bit about wealth from selling her books.
There aren’t any known businesses she has invested in. Most of the earnings might be from the movies and series.
However, the exact information on assets is not known. If anything on the mansions or cars comes out, readers will be made aware.
Social Media
Barbara is active on almost all popular social media accounts. She has a large following both on her Instagram as well as on her Twitter account.
She uses her accounts to interact and communicate with her fans and followers.
Instagram: 99.5k followers
Twitter: 72.8k followers
Interesting Facts
- Her fellow cast member Larry Hagman in I Dream of Jeannie was one of her closest friends. She often said that she had the best connection and could work in a harmonious rhythm with him.
- Her mother, Alice Mary, was just 16 when she had Barbara.
- Barbara had to wear an eye patch because of her eye problems during her early years. This was one of the reasons why she became a shy child.
- Eden has a wide age gap with her sister Alison Sanson who is 12 years younger than her.
- To help her with her expenses and pocket money, Barbara worked as a singer in a local band for around $10 in her teenage years.
- Apart from working as an actor and musician, she also produced a TV movie named The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick in 1988.
- Although she has already shortened her name to Eden, she goes by the nickname BJ among her close friends.
- Barbara reportedly was a popular cheerleader in her high school.
- Before professionally entering her life as an actor, she worked in a bank for a short period.
- One weird fact about her role as Jeannie is that she was not allowed to show her belly button in the tv sitcom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Barbara Eden’s Husband?
Eden’s current husband’s name is Jon Eicholtz. He is a real estate businessman and architect. The couple married in 1991 and are still in a strong relationship.
What happened to Barbara Eden’s Son?
Eden’s only son Matthew Ansara died an unfortunate death in the year 2001. Matthew was just 35 when he died. The cause of his death turned out to be a drug overdose.
What is Barbara Eden’s Real Name?
Barbara’s real name is Barbara Jean Morehead. Her last name is derived from her father, Hubert Henry Morehead.
When was Barbara Eden born?
She was born on the 23rd of August in the year 1931. However, it was mistaken to be 23rd August 1934 for several decades.
Are ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ cast members alive?
Sadly, Barbara is the only major character still alive from the iconic tv show. All the other cast members like Larry Hagman, Bil Daily, Hayden Rorke, etc., have already died.