Barbara Eden is perhaps one of the most well-respected names in the industry. The actress is now 92 years old and rarely makes public appearances which is why her latest interview is such a shock!
Keep reading to know more about what the singer revealed.
In a recent interview, Barbara Eden, the star of I Dream of Jeannie, revealed some secrets about her personal life! The singer, who met Elvis Presley when she was making Flaming Star finally talked about what the late singer had meant to her.
The 92-year-old actress talked about her enduring legacy from her role as a genie named Jeannie in her hit show. The show is part of television history. It depicted Larry Hagman as an astronaut who finds a bottle with Eden’s Jeannie as a genie inside. The two end up falling in love.
Now 50 years after the show originally aired, Eden shares that people still come up to her and share their love for the series. They also ask the actress to do Jeannie’s iconic blink and nod.
“Oh, all the time,” Eden said, laughing when asked if the request was made often. She shared that the original motion the producers wanted required a little less energy, but she thought her character needed a more distinct motion. “It was supposed to have been just the blink and I added the arms,” she said.
The wink became a trademark for Jeannie and for Eden as well. Her costume at the time was a two-piece that featured billowing pants and a crop top. Now Eden looks back at how everyone was shocked at the ensemble and now days it would not even cause people to blink. She said, “it’s nothing” by what is common on television and movies today and she had never been concerned about it.
“No, not with this. No, not at all,” Eden said, she added, “I had on tights, plus panties, plus a full bra.” She shared how a journalist from The Hollywood Reporter caused controversy after they came on set to look for her navel.
“It became a thing. I’ve told people, I said, ‘Other people are known for very glamorous parts of their body — I’ve got a belly button,” Eden said jokingly. “[It’s] not the sexiest thing in the world, but then the standards and practices for films suddenly realized I had a belly button I had never shown before,” she shared.
Eden mused, “It was silly.”
The actress also talked about her Flaming Star cast member, Presley. The two of them had shared great chemistry which even sparked rumors. However, she revealed Presley was more interested in her then-husband, Michael Ansara.
“That’s right,” she said of Presley’s adoration of Ansara — who played Commander Kang in Star Trek: The Original Series. Now, years later, she clarifies that she and Presley, “We were just good friends.” Eden and Ansara were from 1958 to 1974.
While Presley famously died at the age of 42 in August 1977, Eden says she will always remember him how he was. At the time she had met him he had just left the army and she says, “he was very happy.”
And one thing fans could not help but notice about Barbara during the interview is that she looked wonderful at 92 years old! One person commented, “you look absolutely Beautiful”
While another person added, “Certainly made me happy! Wow what a legend! She still looks amazing!” Another fan commented, “She’s just a beautiful person.” You can watch the interview here.
