When Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman stepped onto the set for their very first screen test together, neither had any idea how much their lives were about to change. “We started doing this scene, and I threw my arms around his neck,” Barbara shares with Closer exclusively. “Later, he told me, ‘You scared the bejesus out of me!’ That’s just Larry being Larry—so honest and spontaneous, always blurting out whatever was on his mind.”
From that memorable meeting onward, Barbara and Larry became an iconic duo. I Dream of Jeannie, which originally aired for five seasons from 1965 to 1970, featured Barbara as the enchanting 2,000-year-old genie who falls in love with her rescuer, the charming astronaut Tony Nelson, played by Larry. Although the show wasn’t a ratings blockbuster at the time, it cemented both actors as beloved stars and has continued to captivate new generations through syndication and streaming platforms.
Barbara, now 92, reflects fondly on her partnership with Larry. “I’ve never worked with anyone with whom I’ve been so in sync and on the same wavelength, acting-wise,” she says. “Working with him was such a joy and a challenge. He was incredibly talented and so sweet to me, but he could also be his own worst enemy.”
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From Screen to Friendship
Their on-screen chemistry was so undeniable that fans often wondered if there was more to their relationship behind the scenes. But Barbara sets the record straight: “No, we never dated.” During the run of I Dream of Jeannie, Barbara was married to her first husband, Michael Ansara, and even became pregnant with her son Matthew during the first season. “I was a walking tent, but they just kept covering me up with chiffon,” she jokes, recalling how the wardrobe department handled her growing belly.
When the cameras stopped rolling, Larry’s dedication to perfection became evident. He demanded long rehearsals and script rewrites, which sometimes frustrated the writing team. “Sometimes comedy isn’t funny when you’re trying to figure it all out,” Larry once explained. “You might think something reads well on the page, but then you realize it doesn’t land quite right, so you have to tweak it. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it.”
Despite his serious approach to acting, Larry had a playful side that kept everyone entertained. “He had an incredible sense of humor and was always pulling off something outrageous,” Barbara remembers. She chuckles as she recounts one memorable day when Larry showed up on set dressed as a train engineer—and another time in a full gorilla costume. “Why else be an actor if not to be the center of attention?” Larry used to say.
However, beneath his antics, Larry sometimes struggled with insecurities. According to Bill Daily, who played fellow astronaut Roger Healey, Larry occasionally felt overshadowed by Barbara’s rising star status. “I think what bothered Larry a bit was that Barbara became a superstar,” Bill revealed. “He’d get quiet and retreat to his trailer.”
Things grew more complicated during the second season when Larry decided to clean up his lifestyle. “I had been addicted to tobacco and Bontril, which is a mild form of amphetamine,” Larry admitted. He had been using the drug for five years to manage his weight. “I quit smoking and stopped taking speed all at once.” The abrupt withdrawal left him angry, anxious, depressed, and physically ill. In one bizarre incident, Larry attempted to shut off a noisy air conditioner with a fireman’s ax, accidentally cutting off power to the entire soundstage. He feared his career might be over.
Thankfully, Barbara intervened when the network considered replacing Larry with Darren McGavin. “It would be ridiculous to switch him out mid-show,” she argued. Eventually, Larry agreed to seek therapy, and he expressed his gratitude to Barbara. “He thanked me for saving his house!” she recalls with a smile.
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By the fifth season, tensions flared again when the network suggested Jeannie and Tony should tie the knot. “I told them that marrying us would ruin the magic. I even started looking for other jobs,” Larry said. His despondency was palpable; he stopped speaking to anyone, including Barbara. “He completely shut me out,” she admitted in her 2012 memoir, Jeannie Out of the Bottle.
A New Beginning
Despite their disagreements, Barbara’s affection for Larry never wavered. In 1990, she joined him for a five-episode arc on Dallas, the primetime drama that catapulted Larry to superstardom as J.R. Ewing. “The first day on set, everyone was watching us,” Barbara recalls. “Larry looked at me and said, ‘Isn’t this strange? It’s like we never stopped working together.’”
Larry faced many challenges before his cancer-related death in 2012 at the age of 81. He largely overcame his addiction to smoking and alcohol after receiving a liver transplant in 1995. “The last time I saw him, I was in Australia, and he looked fantastic,” Barbara says. “It was such a shock when he passed away.”
Even in hindsight, Barbara views Larry as not only a remarkable actor but also a cherished friend. “I truly believe we were meant to work together. We clicked instantly,” she reflects. “When he felt good, he was the kindest man. I really loved him a lot.”
