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by Lyle Hurd, editor
Barbara Eden
 It was a pleasure to interview Barbara
Eden, everyone’s favorite Jeannie. She is
one of America’s most endearing and
enduring stars. Her effervescent personality,
positive spirit and unique ability
to reach and hold audiences of all ages has
made the attractive blue-eyed blonde from San
Francisco one of Hollywood’s most recognized,
beloved and popular stars both here and
abroad.
Barbara’s NBC mega-hit “I Dream of
Jeannie” has been on television screens globally
for 35 uninterrupted years since beginning
its five-year network run in 1965. Today, more
than three decades later, the show continues to
be one of the country’s most popular family
programs. As an accomplished actress and
musical entertainer she has starred in a score of
feature films, five television series, 15 top-rated
television movies and has headlined at many
popular hotel resorts and casinos in Lake
Tahoe, Atlantic City and Las Vegas including
the MGM Grand, Caesar’s Palace, Desert Inn
and Harrah’s, as well as on concert stages and
theaters across the country.
Barbara has been a musical guest star on
more than 50 variety TV shows including 21
Bob Hope television specials. During the 1987
Yuletide season she traveled with Hope to the
Persian Gulf to perform for our combat troops and then continued on with Rapid Robert
(Bob’s nickname) in a whirlwind eight-day,
around-the-world USO tour entertaining servicemen
during the holidays.
For her many television accomplishments
Barbara was given her own star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7003
Hollywood Boulevard. The star’s unveiling
before Hollywood’s TV news cameras was even
more special for Barbara because her mentors,
Bob Hope and “I Dream of Jeannie” creator
Sidney Sheldon, were on hand to honor her
along with honorary Hollywood mayor
Johnny Grant.
The busy star’s recent activities include a
2002 six-month tour, playing to standing room
only audiences, starring in the national company
female version of Neil Simon’s “The Odd
Couple,” her recurring starring role as the
matriarchal Aunt Irma in the WB’s “Sabrina:
The Teenage Witch,” the national release by
Mattel of the official Barbie/Jeannie doll created
in Barbara’s image, an upcoming Jeannie
comic book from Columbia TriStar, her TV
commercials for Old Navy, AT&T and Lexus,
which introduced the Lexus’ SUV, subsequently
named Car of the Year. In addition she
made a delicious video ad for Entemann
Doughnuts, was profiled on “A&E Biography”
and was on MSNBC’s “Legends & Headliners
with Matt Lauer,” made numerous personal
appearances and talk show guestings and heads
her BarGene Productions company, which is now developing long-form TV movies. Barbara
has recently signed a new long-term licensing
agreement with Sony Consumer Products,
which features an amazing array of “I Dream
of Jeannie” items.
Barbara’s total health/anti-aging program
incorporates a healthy diet, nutritional supplementation,
a programmed exercise regimen, a
positive attitude, an active career, prayer and
meditation and a commitment to community.
Barbara works actively on behalf of
numerous national and local charities
including such organizations as the American
Cancer Society, the Wellness Community, the
Make-A-Wish Foundation, March of Dimes,
the American Heart Association, Save the
Children and Childhelp. To this work she
brings the same energy, commitment and
enthusiasm that she is famous for in her professional
life.
TH: Barbara, with your theater and television
commitments, TV commercials, personal
appearances, promotional endorsements and
your BarGene Productions company this must
be one of the busiest periods of your career.
BE: I am busy. I like to keep busy. I am lucky
in that I found what I like to do early in life.
Many people don’t have that blessing.
However, I have always loved my work.
TH: Even though you love your work, such an
active schedule must require tons of energy
and very little accommodation for sick days.
What is your personal formula for maintaining
optimal health and age management?
BE: First I don’t spend time looking back. I am
focused on today’s challenges and opportunities.
I also believe aging is more biological than
chronological and biological aging is to a great
degree within your control. Age is how you
think, feel, act and look. It is attitude, diet,
supplementation, exercise, spirituality and
commitment to community. Also the ability to
understand there are so many things we can’t
control or change so we should concentrate on
the things we can influence instead of being
stressed by those we can’t. And a good sense of
humor really helps.
TH: Tell us more about your diet, supplementation
and exercise regimens.
BE: My attitude toward diet is pretty basic.
Food is the fuel that energizes the body. I gravitate
to foods that are easy to digest and provide
me with the energy needed to fulfill my
body’s needs. For me that means a lot of good
protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and
vegetables and very little red meat, sugar and
dairy.
A regular exercise program is an imperative
to every wellness/age management program.
For general conditioning, bone density and
heart health it is also important to include
both aerobic and weight resistance.
I belong to a gym where I work out at least
three times a week, however when I am
working my schedule may suffer. First I do
what is called spinning exercises on a bicycle
for 45 minutes. Then I work with a trainer
lifting weights for about an hour. Walking
whenever possible and remembering to drink
as much purified water as I can throughout the
day are both a plus.
I have always been a believer in the value of
vitamins. When I was a child I experienced an
extended period of ill health. From that point
on my mother began to feed me cod liver oil
and vitamins which I still consider an important
aspect of my recovery and consistent good
health (you know, I can still taste that cod liver
oil). Today I take a comprehensive multiple
vitamin, calcium with vitamin D and extra C
and E for antioxidant protection against aging,
environmental pollution and stress management
and a natural product for joint health
maintenance.
TH: Your comment about tasting the cod liver
oil makes me chuckle. I’m sure it was the first
nutritional supplement a number of our
readers came in contact with, including
myself. Also, I’ll bet most of us can still taste it.
The good news is cod liver oil has certainly
survived the generations as an excellent inclusion
in many nutritional programs.
Please expand on the other elements you
consider integral to optimum health and age
management.
BE: Be productive, work at something you
find fulfilling, whether it is your job, as a volunteer
or a hobby. Be connected, share your
life with family, friends, social organizations
and your community. Be mentally and emotionally
grounded, find a spiritual outlet
through prayer and meditation, be positive,
bring a zest for life to each new day, don’t dwell
on the things over which you have no control.
Have a good sense of humor; laughter can be
more potent than any prescription drug.
TH: Barbara, your formula for optimum
health and productive longevity certainly mirrors
the philosophy of totalhealth.
On the subject of longevity, Bob Hope,
who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, has
been a good friend of yours for nearly 30 years.
Would you please share some of your memories
of touring with him?
BE: I had the opportunity to appear with Bob
on 21 of his specials. Those were wonderful
times. I learned a lot from Bob, everyone who
worked with him did. Bob’s joy for living was
unbounded, and even though I haven’t seen
him in five years, I am sure it still is. He had the
best time—everything he did he enjoyed and
could always find something humorous in it.
During the 1987 Christmas season we spent
eight days entertaining troops in the Persian
Gulf and other bases throughout the world.
Over that period we spent a great deal of time
in the air and many times flew all night from
one destination to another. I remember one
particular evening Bob informed me we were
going to refuel in mid-air sometime in the
early morning and asked if I would like to
observe the procedure. I said, “Sure.” Now you
should understand that the plane had no
beds—we all slept on the floor with whatever
we could find to use as covers. Fortunately I
had a big bulky coat that really came in handy.
Well sure enough, in the middle of the night
someone stumbled over me. It was Bob there
to alert me that we were about to refuel.
Another time on the way to a performance in
Perth, Australia he looked at me with that devilish
twinkle in his eye and said “Barbara, how
would you like to land a 747?” Then he proceeded
to march us up to the cockpit where
the pilot gave us his seat. Now, of course, the
copilot landed the plane but we sat in the
pilot’s seat of this five-story tall airplane as it
touched down. It was a thrilling experience
that I will always remember.
If it weren’t for his interest in and joy with
everything and everyone around him, I don’t
think many of us who interacted with Bob
would have experienced as much of the camaraderie
or many of the fond memories we have
of those four plus decades of commitment to
supporting our servicemen.
TH: Thank you for sharing your advice on
optimal health and age management with us.
We look forward to many more years of being
entertained by Barbara Eden and reliving the
exploits of our favorite Jeannie.
BE: You’re welcome. Remember, celebrating
each day, positive attitude and a good sense of
humor provide a great foundation for total
health.
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