The Remarkable Life and Career of Barbara Eden

Barbara Eden is an actress whose career has placed her in the spotlight on stage, on television, and of course, on the big screen 40 feet high. This is the story of how Eden became the actress she is today.

Who Is Ms. Barbara Eden?

She wasn’t always known as Barbara Eden. In fact, the iconic actress was born Barbara Jean Morehead in a place far from Los Angeles, California. Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Eden entered the world on August 23rd, 1931. This wasn’t made clear for a while since Barbara Eden — then, Morehead — intentionally lied about her age in order to appear years younger than she actually was. For decades, people thought Eden was born in 1941.

Growing Up During the Depression

Being born in the 1930s, Eden and her family were living in the midst of the Great Depression — a time when the economy was flat and unemployment rates had reached 25%. As a result of this, money was difficult for her and the family to come by. It was a time before smartphones and household televisions as well, so in order to entertain the family, a young Barbara would often sing to lift everyone else’s spirits.

Becoming a More Proficient Singer

It was clear from early on that Eden was a talented singer. As a young girl, she first expressed her love for singing and music by putting on performances for her family. From there, she was placed in a church choir, where she was able to more freely express herself in front of crowds outside of her immediate family. By her teen years, Eden was actually singing in clubs making $10 a show, which is worth roughly $130 today adjusted to inflation.

Sunny California

As she got older, Eden and her family moved from Arizona out west to San Francisco, California. She attended high school at Abraham Lincoln High School and graduated with the class of 1949. By the time Eden was 16 years old, she became a member of Actors’ Equity Associate — an American labor union representing the world of live theatrical performance, rather than film and television performance. At this point, it was evidently clear that Eden had a special gift.