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.
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.