Barbara Eden, 92, has been married for 31 years and believes that the key to a long-lasting relationship is ‘you have to like each other a lot.’
Barbara Eden, America’s beloved genie in a bottle, turns 91 in August 2022, much to the surprise of everyone who has enjoyed watching the blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty on film over the years. It’s incredible that the actress has had a six-decade career in Hollywood and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Eden was born on August 23, 1931 in Tucson, Arizona. Her promising career began when she sang in the church choir and performed solos. Later in her adolescence, she began singing in bands that performed in local clubs.
When she was 16, she joined Actors Equity and began studying singing at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and acting at the Elizabeth Holloway School of Drama. Meanwhile, she repeatedly participated in beauty pageants and even won the Miss San Francisco title in 1951, which propelled her into the Miss California pageant.
In 1965, Eden eventually earned the part of the genie in the lovely ’70s TV show “I Dream of Jeannie.” The role secured her Hollywood career and led to more opportunities. They included roles in the theater, films, and television.
Over the years, she’s performed 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. Throughout her six-decade career, she has had an unusually diversified portfolio of work. Eden’s remarkable work was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1988.
Eden’s personal life has been filled with joy and tragedy, as her profession has seen numerous highs.
Eden initially mentioned her desire not to retire in an interview with the Television Academy Foundation almost 20 years ago. She stated:
“Well, it’s critical for me to remain working. First and foremost, I adore my work, yet I cannot picture ever retiring. I’m hoping there will be roles for me as a tiny old lady… but of course, as you get older, there aren’t as many parts for you, which I understand, but I still want to work.”
Fortunately for Eden and us, she is still working, but not as frequently as she used to. Her most recent film role was as Mrs. Claus in 2019’s “My Adventures With Santa.”
She expanded on the subject in an interview with People in October 2021, after she turned 90, in which she confessed that, while there are some restrictions to growing older, she will not let them hold her back. She stated:
“Sometimes one has to slow down, but I’ll keep doing what I’m doing until I can’t.”
The nonagenarian also remarked on how much she enjoyed playing Jeannie in the 1960s. She stated to the publication:
“I like her. What makes me so delighted is that she is popular worldwide. Not me. That character appeals to them. They enjoy the program for what it is. It transports individuals away from themselves and into another universe. which I appreciate. “I enjoy it.”
Despite her bright career, Eden has also experienced heartbreak. She suffered through two divorces over the years, and when she was eight months pregnant with her second child, she found that her baby had died in the womb. But nothing could have prepared her for the most devastating loss: the overdose death of her only son Matthew Ansara in 2001. Considering everything she’s been through, she advises others to speak up when they’re not feeling well. People quoted her as saying:
“Go get help when you can’t move or don’t want to do anything.”
Her life’s ups and downs undoubtedly taught her a lot. Eden also reflected on how diverse people’s job paths are and how no one should let it stop them. “Everyone must discover their way,” she remarked before adding, “Don’t be scared. Everyone’s life is unique. Everyone’s beginnings are unique.” She went on to say:
“Learn to recognize in other people what you have inside yourself because that’s the one thing we all have. We’re all linked. Understanding that helped me get over a lot of stumbling blocks when I initially moved to town and began auditioning.”
Eden has taken her advice to heart, demonstrating that she isn’t afraid to try new things, even at her age. She and co-author Dustin Warburton released their first children’s book, “Barbara and the Djinn,” in 2021. She told the news site that her life is full of love and pleasure and that she is grateful for everything she has. She stated:
“I’m quite fortunate. I have many close buddies. I have a beautiful family, a wonderful husband, and a dog who is adorable but a brat! Sure, I’m overjoyed. I believe that everything, including life, must work itself out. Most things have a cause, and I can’t wish for it.”
Eden’s love life, which was significantly more turbulent in her earlier years, has now settled down, and she frequently attributes this to her current husband. Eden married actor Michael Ansara for the first time in 1958.
Unfortunately, the marriage ended in 1974 when the pair filed for divorce. Eden married her second husband, Charles Fegert, in 1977. In 1982, they divorced.
Eden walked down the aisle for the third time in 1991 to marry real estate developer Jon Eicholtz, and the couple has been happily married ever since. Eden told Closer Weekly that the capacity to give and take equally is one of the secrets to their long-lasting relationship. She stated:
“I believe you must adore each other. No, you do. … You don’t have to share the same interests. Because we most emphatically do not. I’m not a golfer. I don’t like watching baseball… yet he likes watching the Angels. But I do because I love him. I also like him. So I’ll sit with him and watch.”
She stated that he, in turn, supports her hectic schedule.
“He puts up with me working,” Eden said, adding that Jon “doesn’t genuinely mind” how much she works. “I think it’s amazing because he likes what I do. He enjoys it when I do it. “I consider myself quite fortunate to have a nice marriage.”
Another key ingredient to their love is that they’re both happy dog parents. Eden described the couple’s pet as a “Labradoodle,” or a “Little boy; he’s so spoilt.”
Do you like Barbara Eden? Did you know she’s 90 and hasn’t officially retired from acting? Let us know what you think, and then share it so that others can read about it as well.
