Barbara Eden From 'I Dream Of Jeannie' Publishes Her First Children's Book At The Age Of 90

Nov 16, 2021 by apost team

America's favorite Jeannie in a bottle, Barbara Eden, turned 90-years-old in 2021, much to the shock of everyone who has ever enjoyed watching the acting expertise of this blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty on screen or on television. The multi-talented star also published her first children's book in 2021, and Eden couldn't be happier.

Eden, the beautiful "Jeannie in a bottle," was born in Tucson, Arizona, on August 23, 1931. Her parents later divorced, and Eden has a half-sister from her mother's subsequent remarriage. This star's career initially started with her singing in the church choir, in which she sang the solos. Later, in her teens, she would sing in several bands performing in local clubs for about $10 (equivalent to about $130 nowadays) a night. 

When she was 16, she became an Actor's Equity member and started to study singing at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as well as acting at the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theater. Meanwhile, she repeatedly participated in beauty pageants and even won the Miss San Francisco title in 1951, which propelled her onto the Miss California pageant.

The nostalgia of 1970s television shows certainly emanates an aura of charm, and one such long-running show at the forefront was "I Dream of Jeannie," starring Eden. The show's plot involved American astronaut Tony Nielson, played by Larry Hagman. In the show, Hagman's character lands slightly off-course on a deserted island and unwittingly finds an unusual but beautiful bottle. He does the foreseeable rub on the bottle and out pops a beautiful Jeannie as a pixie-faced, blonde-haired beauty played by Barbara Eden.

Read on to learn more about Eden and her new kid's book "Barbara and the Djinn."

Still Eden's most iconic role, "I Dream of Jeannie" combined early space travel with a series of comical faux pas caused by Jeannie and her naïve attempt at "mortal" existence without using her magical powers. Her antics must be hidden by Nielson in order to protect her from the public while also protecting his high-security employment. Obviously, surreptitious yet suggested romance permeates the entire plot.

As the casting for the role of Jeannie opened, producer Sidney Sheldon failed to find an actress who could deliver the role as he had originally intended it. There was one specific rule, however: Sheldon wanted no blonde genie since he felt this would bear too many similarities to the actress on "Bewitched." But after many unsuccessful auditions, he eventually contacted Eden's agent, and she landed the part that would soon become her most iconic role.

Even now, Eden has no plans to quit acting. In a 2000 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, she discussed how important it was for her to continue working:

"Oh, it's very important for me to keep working. I, first of all, enjoy my work, but I can't imagine ever retiring. I hope there will be parts for me as a little old lady...but of course, as you grow older there aren't as many parts for you, but I understand that but I still want to work."

Luckily for Eden, and for us, she is still working, even if it's not as frequently as in her heyday. Her last movie appearance was as Mrs. Claus in the 2019 film "My Adventures With Santa." 

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Eden's first children's story was published in 2021 and is delightfully called "Barbara and the Djinn." 

When The Hollywood Reporter asked Eden what the inspiration was behind the book she answered, "I was in Australia in 2013 and Dustin Warburton, who is a writer, was there also and we met up and talked about books. During our conversation, we decided that we should be writing a children's book together. I'm a reader, and I think it's a wonderful gift for a child."

Eden continued, "My aunt and my mother read to me when I was 2, 3 and 4 years old, enough that it just made my imagination bloom. When I was old enough, they took me to the library and I got my own library card. By the time I was 7, 8, 9 and 10, I would go to the library on a Saturday and check out the full limit of books — six at a time — and bring them home to read all week."

The star added that she learned a lot from reading as a child. "I'm so grateful for that time because it really transported me to another world. That doesn't mean I didn't go to the movies — I did and loved them — but I would've never had an understanding of other people, other countries, other cultures if I hadn't started reading young," she explained.

In her own words, Eden described the story, saying: "It follows a little girl on a journey of finding these beings who are different, but who need help. It's very simple, and it's all about understanding people who are different and having empathy and love for them." 

Are you a fan of Barbara Eden? What do you think of her releasing a book at the age of 90? Let us know and feel free to send this on to your loved ones.