Barbara Eden-I Dream of Jeannie
Oh, Jeanjie – one of my favorite characters of all time. I Dream of Jeannie was a perfect show for me growing up because it gave a female a new type of role. She wasn’t the helpless damsel in distress or the mother or caretaker, she was the mastermind of the show. She always had a plan and played off her ignorance to just what she was doing perfectly.
I dream of Jeannie is still a popular show on television today because it transcended the tropes of a traditional 1960s era show. Truly one of the great performances to come out of that time period. But Barbara wasn’t just Jeannie, she had a myriad of other roles throughout her career and stayed active in television and film. Still, she will always be remembered as that manipulative and lovable character from her big break.
Eden also wrote a memoir titled Jeannie Out of the Bottle which was released in April 2011. While the book covered her 50 year career in Hollywood it is a typical story of what you would hope your favorite stars would experience. A few failed marriages and constant work. Unfortunately, she did have an emotional breakdown after the death of her only child, Matthew, which she talks about in the memoir.
In 1988 Eden was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and two years later she was given an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law.