Barbara Eden at 92 My Best & Worst HOLLYWOOD MEMORIES

THE I DREAM OF JEANNIE STAR SHARES PERSONAL STORIES FROM HER SIX-DECADE CAREER 

- LOUISE A. BARIL, Katie Bruno , Amanda Champagne

A 92nd birthday deserves more than one day of celebration — and that’s exactly what Barbara Eden got in August! The veteran actress, best known for her role in I Dream of Jeannie, enjoyed a dinner date with friends, a family barbecue and a chat with fans to mark her latest milestone. “There were wonderful, beautiful birthday greeting from all over the world,” Barbara says of her online well-wishers. “It was fun!”

The still-vivacious actress, who began her TV career with a role on Johnny Carson’s pre-Tonight Show series in 1956, feels blessed by her six decades in show business and her happy private life. “It’s always an adventure,” she tells Closer of her long and varied career.

Married to Jon Eicholtz since 1991, Barbara’s home life is her oasis of calm. “I’ve lived 40 years in the same house,” she says. “So my life is very centered around my family, my house, my husband, my dog Bentley and my friends.”

STARS IN HER EYES

Born in Tucson, Ariz., but raised in San Francisco, Barbara grew up singing in her church choir. After high school she studied drama at the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theatre, where she was encouraged to go professional. “Miss Holloway said, ‘Barbara, you have to get out of the nest. Leave home. Go to New York or LA,’” she recalls. “I am such a chicken, so I came to LA, where I had an aunt and uncle.”