Actress Barbara Eden, 94, is sharing some inside information about the beloved sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie, which had a five-season run until 1970.
In a September 2025 interview with People magazine, Eden explained why the first season of the show, which began airing in September 1965, was shot in black-and-white. According to Eden, the series, which followed the genie Jeannie (Eden) and Captain/Major Anthony “Tony” Nelson (Larry Hagman), wasn’t colorized because of her pregnancy with her late son, Matthew Ansara.
“I was pregnant. 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,” said Eden to the publication.
Barbara Eden Opened up About Being Pregnant on the ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ Set
While speaking to People magazine in 2001, Eden said she found out she was pregnant “the same day that I Dream of Jeannie sold.”
“I was thrilled. I was so happy, but I knew they’d have to replace me. Well, God love [I Dream of Jeannie creator] Sidney Sheldon. He got to work, and we did the first 13 shows with me pregnant with Matthew,” said Eden in the People magazine interview.
In a 2011 interview on celebrity.land, Eden clarified that she looked pregnant when filming I Dream of Jeannie Season 1. She explained that Jeannie’s many scarves and clever use of the show’s furniture helped hide her stomach.
She also said she didn’t have difficulty raising her son while starring as Jeannie. She stated that her ex-husband, actor Michael Ansara, whom she divorced in 1974, was “a wonderful husband” and attentive father.
“We had a great housekeeper, [and] two grandmothers that were there, a lot. I was home generally from Friday through Monday,” said Eden in the interview.
Barbara Eden Raved About Motherhood in a 2016 Interview
Eden raved about motherhood in a 2016 interview on OWN. She said being a mother to her son “was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened in [her] life.” She also noted that her child died in 2001 following an unintentional drug overdose. He was 35.
In the OWN interview, Eden said she prefers to “remember the good times” in Matthew’s life.
“That’s what I remember. I don’t dwell on the other, you know. Oh I have a lot of memories of Matthew of course. Wonderful. Because he had such a great sense of humor, he teased me all the time,” said Eden with a smile.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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