Barbara Eden

One of television's most enduring icons, actress Barbara Eden embraced the character and show that made her a star, playing the 2,000-year-old Jeannie on the sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie" (NBC, 1965-1970). Prior to the beloved show, Eden appeared on a number of television shows like "Father Knows Best" (CBS, 1954-1960), "Gunsmoke" (CBS, 1955-1975) and "The Andy Griffith Show" (CBS, 1960-68), before starring on the small screen version of the hit movie, "How to Marry a Millionaire" (syndicated, 1957-59). She made the jump to features around this time and had an early co-starring role opposite Elvis Presley in "Flaming Star" (1960), before logging performances in "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (1961) and "The Yellow Canary" (1963). But it was her performance as "Jeannie" that made her a household name. After the show was finished, Eden starred in the horror movie "A Howling in the Woods" (1971) and in the comedy "Harper Valley PTA" (1978). She later embraced the association with the naïve Jeannie and, though tame by modern standards, her brand of playful femininity was revolutionary for its time and helped open the doors for future television sex symbols.