Barbara Eden, everyone’s favorite Jeannie, is one of America’s most
endearing and enduring stars.
Barbara Eden has starred in a score of feature film, five television series, 15 top rated movies and as a singer, has headlined at many of America’s top hotel resorts and casinos in Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City and Las Vegas, including the MGM Grand, Caesar’s Palace, Desert Inn and Harrah’s, as well as on concert stages and in theaters across America.
Barbara Eden’s effervescent personality, positive spirit and unique to reach and hold audiences of all ages has made the beautidul green-eyed blonde from San Francisco on eof Hollywood’s most recognized, beloved and popular stars both here and abroad.
Barbara Eden's long running series "I Dream of Jeannie“ has been on television screens globally for 40 uninterrupted years since beginning its first year network run on NBG in 1965.
Today, nearly 4 decades later, "I dream of Jeannie“ continues to be on of the world’s most popular family shows, and is seen every day on cable and in international syndication on TV screens around the globe.
The busy star’s recent activities include Barbara Eden’s in depth interview on ABC TV’s "Good Morning America“ and "20/20“ a solo hour on CNN’s "Larry King Live“, her hour long profile on Lifetime’s "Intimate Portrait“, her starring role as "Florence Unger“ in the national company female version of Neil Simon’s "The Odd Couple“ and Barbara Edden's recurring starring role as the matriarchal Aunt Irma in "Sabrina: The Teenage Witch“.
Additional activities include: the national release by Mattel of the official Barbie/Jeannie doll created in Barbara Eden’s image, a Jeannie comic book from Columbia TriStar, TV commercials for Old Navy, AT&T and Lexus, which introduced Lexus SUV, namend the Car of the Year and a delicious video ad for Entemann Doughnuts.
Barbara Eden has also been profiles on "A&E Biography“, MSNBC’s "Legends & Headliners with Matt Laurer“ and in TV Guide, Nov. 1999.
BarGene Productions, Barbara Eden’s production company, is currently in development on three two hour TV Movies and a half hour sitcom for the actress.
Always drawn to the magic of a live theater audience, Barbara Eden periodically stars in legitimate theater and stage musicals during hiatus periods from her movie and TV assignments.
Barbara Eden has repeatedly scored critically and at the box office in such hits as "Sound of Music“, "Same Time Next Year“, "Best little Whorehouse in Texas“ and 11-city tour in "Last of the Red Hot Lovers“ and recently "Gentleman Prefer Blondes“ as Lorelei Lee, the character created by Carol Channing on Broadway and played on screen by Marilyn Monroe in the 20th Century Fox film version.
Marilyn Monroe, the legendary film star, actually played a key role in helping Barbara Eden to form her own star persona while a rising young contract player on the 20th Century Fox lot. Barbara Eden's first TV series there was "How to marry a Millionaire“, starring in the role made famous by Marilyn Monroe in the film version helmed by famed director Jean Neulesco.
While at Fox, Barbara Eden also starred in a number of major feature motion pictures, including "Voyage to the Bottom of the sea“, "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grim“, "The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao" and "Flaming Star“ as Elvis Presley’s leading lady.
Barbara Eden later joined Columbia Studios where she starred in a number of films and then returned to television with what was to become her eromously successful "I Dream of Jeannie“ series.
It was during this period Barbara Eden began performing as a headline artist at some of America’s major supper clubs, which led to musical guest appearances on many of TV’s leading variety shows. She also hosted Nashville’s "Country Music Awards“ special and her own Christmas special "Love is Barbara Eden“.
In 1979, Barbara Eden starred in the modestly budgeted slepper feature film hit "Harper Valley PTA“ based on the Jeannie C. Reilly popular recording, which went on to gross more than $25 million and become that year’s most successful independent movie.
In 1980, when the picture was aired on NBC during February "sweeps“, the low budget theatrical film won its timeslot by posting higher Nielsen rating that its closest competitor, the 1980 Olympic Games hockey finals betwenn U.S. and Russian Teams.
As a result, surprised and delighted network programming executives at NBC and Universal Studios promptly signed Barbara Eden to do a TV series based in "Harper Valley“. The TV Show went on the air and became the highest rated new series of the 1980-81 season. However, disagreement between the studio’s producer and network management over the direction of the show’s highly rated socond season brought it to a premature conclusion at the end of that year.
"Harper Valley“ marked the beginning of a hugely successful 15 year association for Barbara Eden’s BarGene independant production company with NBC, which included the two hour Movie of the Week " A Brand new Life“, created by "X-Files“ writer-producer Chris Carter.
The alliance also gave birth to Barbara Eden's "Visions of Murder“ and "Eyes of Terror“ TV movies which were featured on the Peacock web’s Friday night "Mystery Wheel“.
Barbara Eden's other NBC fims include: "Hell Hath No Fury“, "Opposites Attract“, "Your Mother Wears Combat Boots", "The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick“, "The Stepford Children“, "A Howling in the Woods“ with Larry Hagman, "How to Break Upa Happy Divorce“,and the Jeannie movies,"I Dream of Jeannie 15 years later“ and "I still dream of Jeannie“.
"I dream of Jeannie 15 years Later“ ranked as the highes rated TV movie of the 1985-1986 season. Barbara Eden also starred in the TV movies: "The Girls in the Office“ for ABC and two TV Movies for CBS "Dead Man’s Island“ with William Shatner and "Her Wicked Ways“ with Heather Locklear, which was the highest rated made for TV movie of the 1990-1991 season.
Barbara Eden has been a musical guest star on more that 50 variety shows including 21 Bob Hope television specials. During the 1987 Yuletide season, she traveled with Hope to the Persian Gulf to perform for our combat troops and then continued on with Rapid Robert in a whirlwind eight-day around the world USO tour entertaining servicemen during the holidays.
For her many television accomplishments, Barbara Eden was given her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7003 Hollywood Boulevard.
The star’s unveiling before Hollywood’s TV news cameras was even more special for Barbara Eden because her mentor Bob Hope and "I Dream of Jeannie's“ Sidney Sheldon were on hand to honor her along with honorary mayor of Hollywood Johnny Grant.
In the spring of 1990, Barbara Eden was also honored with an honorary doctor of law degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law.
From high school days in San Fransisco, Barbara Eden had a goal to succeed in show business. She worked toward that goal in every way she could. Fortunate that her family recognized her talent early and encouraged her, she was able to study drama and technique while going to high school.
Barbara Eden also studied music at the San Francisco Conservatory, sang with bands in the Bay Area on weekends and was part of the pantomime act with vaudevillian comecian Charlie Hoffman. The act was billed Hoffman & Huffmann, the latter moniked being Barbara Eden’s family name.
A year later, Barbara Eden felt she was ready for Hollywood. But was Hollywood ready for her? Landing an interview at Warner Bros. soon after her arrival in Tinsel Town, she presented herself with confidence and high hopes to the studio’s head of talent. The executive took one look at her fresh young face and said "You’re a nice kid from a nice family. Go Home!“
But Barbara Eden, determined to succeed wouldn’t go home. She got a temporary job working in a bank at night and moved into the famed Hollywood Studio Club for Women where she met other aspiring actresses who shared the same dream of some day achieving movie stardom.
"Being discovered“ finally happend to Barbara Eden when a producer from 20th Century Fox spotted her appearing on stage in "The Voice of the Turtle“ at the nearby Laguna Playhouse in the beach city of Laguna, CA. He signed her to a Fox contract and cast her in the TV series "How To Marry A Millionaire“, which ran for two seasons and led to her many starring roles in Fox feature films.
Barbara Eden works actively on behalf of numerous national and local charities, including such organizations as the Americal Cancer Society, the Wellness Community, the Make A Wish Foundation, The March of Dimes, The American Heart Association, Save the Children and Childhelp.
To this work Barbara Eden brings the same enery, commitment and enthusiasm that she is famous for in her professional life.
Born in Tucson Arizona (August, 23rd 1934) and raised in San Francisco, Barbara Eden was formerly married to actor Michael Ansara, whom she met during the filming of her "How To Marry a Millionaire“ series, while both were contact players at 20th Century Fox. Their son, actor Matthew Ansara passed away in June of 2001 at the age of 35 from a heroin overdose.
Barbara Eden has spent most of her life in California and currently resides in Beverly Hills with her husband Jon T. Eicholtz.
