It’s been 55 years since the iconic sitcom I Dream of Jeannie went off the air, yet the show is still beloved by millions of fans to this day. Now, the I Dream of Jeannie star Barbara Eden has reemerged at the age of 94 to let her loyal fans know how she wants to be remembered.
Eden’s Loyal Fans
Eden sat down with People Magazine to mark the 60th anniversary of the debut of I Dream Of Jeannie. Indeed, the show ran from 1965 until 1970. In this interview, Eden admitted that she’s shocked that the sitcom still resonates with fans decades later.
“I think I had nothing to do with it. It was the audience,” Eden humbly confessed. “I didn’t realize, actually, how popular Jeannie was until several years after, and it still amazes me.”
“I can’t believe it, I have mail from Russia. Can you imagine?” she continued. “I have fan mail from Russia and China and Japan, Poland, Italy, a lot from Germany and South America, the U.K. — and if you had told me that when we were shooting, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Eden went on to say that fans still ask her to do her character Jeannie’s signature move for them.
“It’s magic. They always want magic,” she said. “Magic is good.”
Eden Reveals How She Wants To Be Remembered
As for how she wants fans to remember her, Eden stated, “That I made them laugh, made them happy, took them to another place.”
“I have so many people that come up to me and tell me that they had an awful childhood and that the only thing that helped them out was to go in their room and pretend it was a bottle,” she added, referring to Jeannie’s legendary tiny home.
That’s why hearing from fans can be bittersweet for Eden.
“It makes me sad and happy at the same time,” she admitted.
I Dream Of Jeannie’s Pilot Episode
In a separate interview with People, Eden revealed why the first season of I Dream of Jeannie was filmed in black and white. Though it was long assumed that technology simply didn’t allow them to film it in color, there was actually an entirely different reason at play, according to Eden.
“I was pregnant,” Eden told People. “I was going to have a baby, and so they started fast, and I think they thought I was going to die or something. They didn’t want to invest the money in the color.”
Eden gave birth to her son Matthew Ansara on August 29, 1965. The first episode of I Dream of Jeannie aired weeks later on September 18, 1965. The first color episode of I Dream of Jeannie then aired on December 18, 1965.
Sadly, Matthew went on to die of a heroin overdose in 2001.
“I don’t think there’s anything worse than to lose your child,” Eden later said. “As a parent, I had a lot of guilt and anger, and following his death I was always on the edge of tears. Even though he was 35, he was still my baby.”
In the decades since then, Eden has worked with other parents who have lost children to drugs.
“I began to speak with parents who were going through the same thing,” she said. “I think parents should know that it’s not a bad thing to be strict with your child. If you know what’s going on, you have a chance to help. Ultimately it’s up to them, but there’s hope.”
Eden Feels ‘Really Lucky’
Eden may be in her mid-90s these days, but she’s still loving life. She enjoys spending much of her time with her husband, Jon Eicholtz, whom she married in 1991, and their dog Bentley.
“We’re just happy to be together,” she gushed. “We really enjoy each other.”
“I’m really lucky,” Eden concluded. “I have dear friends. I have wonderful family, a very supportive husband. A dog who is adorable, but a brat! Yes, I’m very happy. I think life, everything, has to work itself out. There’s a reason for most things, and I can’t wish for it.”
I Dream of Jeannie is a timeless show that will certainly live on forever. Eden continues to be an inspiration with her infectiously positive attitude. In the end, I Dream of Jeannie simply wouldn’t have been the same without her.
God bless you, Barbara Eden!