Barbara Eden, famed for her iconic role in 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, is looking back at a shocking encounter she had during an interview before her break in showbiz.
The 95-year-old actress, in a chat with Entertainment Weekly, revealed that a casting director at Warner Brothers rejected her due to her petite chest.
Recalling the horrifying interview, Barbara said, “I didn’t know how to drive – you know, live in San Francisco, you don’t drive a car usually, right?
“My uncle drove me over to Warner Bros. (in Los Angeles) for the interview, and he waited outside.
“I went in, and the man was, ‘OK,’ kind of abrupt. And he said, ‘Look … you’re just not the type. You’re not. You’re not Hollywood type.'”
Barbara added, “He said, ‘This is what they want. This is a picture of my daughter. Big t***.’
Expressing her shock, Barbara noted, “Can you believe? I mean, and of course …. nowadays that wouldn’t be a big deal, but I wasn’t raised for a man in my family to even say the word ‘t***’ … Lord, I was just shocked.”
The casting director then went on to give Barbara his unsolicited advice as Barbara shared, “He said, ‘You’re a pretty enough girl,’ he said, ‘But you’re not beautiful … You won’t make it. Go home and marry the boyfriend at home.'”
For those unversed, Barbara became a household name after her hit TV show How to Marry a Millionaire, which ran from 1957 until 1959.
In the 1960s, Barbara also landed big-screen roles in movies such as Flaming Star and The Brass Bottle.
