Barbara Eden reveals the secret of pregnancy behind “I dream of Jeannie”

Barbara Eden had a big secret during the shooting of the first season of “I Dream of Jeannie”.

Sixty years later, the actress does not hurt the truth about the reasons why the sitcom of the 1960s was shot down for the first time in black and white before moving on to color.

“I was going to have a baby,” said Eden recently at People Magazine. “And so they started quickly. I think they thought I was going to die or something. They didn’t want to invest money in color.”

The star of “I dream of Jeannie” Barbara Eden never considered herself as a sexual symbol despite the emblematic costume

It has long been supposed that showrunners were concerned about how the special effects of the show would be in color, encouraging them to play safely, people reported. However, they were actually more concerned about the hiding place of the growing baby of Eden.

“The same day as” I dream of Jeannie “sold, the doctor told me that I was pregnant,” said Eden in The Outlet. “I was delighted. I was so happy, but I knew they should replace me. Well, God loves [‘I Dream of Jeannie’ creator] Sidney Sheldon. He got to work and we made the first 13 shows with me pregnant. “”

Eden gave birth to his son, Matthew Ansara, on August 29, 1965. The first color episode of “I Dream of Jeannie” was broadcast on December 18, 1965, three months after the first in the series, reported People. Eden played in the show from 1965 to 1970.

Barbara Eden is seen here strategically hiding its median section during the filming of “I Dream of Jeannie”. (NBCU Bank / Getty Images photo)

Ansara died in 2001 of an accidental heroin overdose. He was 35 years old.

In 2021, Eden opened People magazine on the loss of her son. She and her first husband, Michael Ansara, tried for almost seven years to design before the birth of their son.

“When Matthew was clean and sober, he was such a beautiful human being, inside and out,” said Eden at the time. “The drugs are inexplicable. It’s so frustrating.”

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Actress Barbara Eden and her son Matthew Ansara attend the “Hollywood Walk of Fame Honoring Barbara Eden ceremony” November 17, 1988, in Hollywood. (Ron Galella collection, Ltd / Ron Galella via Getty Images)

Ansara fought against drug addiction for 14 years, cycling in and outside the detoxification treatment.

“At the beginning, we did not recognize the behavior – sleep and anger access which would suddenly present themselves with this charming darling boy,” admitted Eden. “I was afraid of death. I did not know what to do. He was too young to know that he needed rehabilitation or help. It was a wonder that he lived up to 35 years.”

Eden said that she had struck guilt after Ansara’s death.

Barbara Eden is seen here with her son Matthew Ansara. (Photo of NBCU Bank / Nbcuniversal photo via Getty Images via Getty Images)

“I don’t think there is something other than losing your child,” she said at the point of sale. “As a parent, I had a lot of guilt and anger, and after his death, I was still on the verge of tears. Even if he was 35, he was still my baby.”

“I started talking with parents who were going through the same thing,” she continued. “I think parents should know that it is not a bad thing to be strict with your child. If you know what’s going on, you have a chance to help. In the end, it’s them, but there is hope.”

Eden said you can never really “face” the loss of a child. Instead, she chose to live day after day and count her blessings.

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Matthew Ansara, the only child in Barbara Eden, died in 2001. He was 35 years old. (Ron Galella collection, Ltd / Ron Galella via Getty Images)

“I’m really lucky,” said Eden. “I have dear friends. I have a wonderful family, a very favorable husband. A dog who is adorable, but a kid! Yes, I am very happy. I think life, everything, must happen. There is a reason for most things, and I cannot wish it.”

Over the years, Eden has been busy playing. More recently, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of “I Dream of Jeannie”, Eden told Fox News Digital that she had never felt the powerful presence of Jeannie eclipsed her Hollywood career.

“I was always happy and happy with her,” she said. “Even when I was doing ‘Jeannie’ ‘, I had the chance to do other things. I opened the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I returned to sing again.”

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“When we had breaks shooting” Jeannie “, I was making another film between the two and then returning. It was a long table tennis.

“At the time, I didn’t think I was famous,” she thought. “I just worked. I didn’t have time to sit down and say:” I did it. “I didn’t do it.

“And I don’t think there was a secret behind the success of the show,” said Eden. “I think it’s the combination of a very good idea, a great cast … It just worked. And this magic does not always work. You can have actors very well, but if the writing is not good, so many things can be wrong. But we were lucky.”

“I dream of Jeannie”, who featured Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman, created on September 18, 1965. (Everett collection)

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The star did not think of what she would like to do next. She is too busy staying active.

“I hope to accomplish everything that has started me,” she said. “I look forward to the next challenge.”