Barbara Eden Explains That She Played Her Bombshell Guest Role on “I Love Lucy” Carefully to Stay in Lucille Ball’s Good Graces

Angela AndaloroMon, August 10, 2026 at 11:00 PM UTC

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Barbara Eden (left), Lucille BallCredit: CBS -

Barbara Eden appeared in a 1957 episode in the final season of I Love Lucy

The actress, 94, played a bombshell in the guest spot, but noted that she moved with reverence and respect for Lucille Ball

Eden would become a household name less than a decade later, when I Dream of Jeannie debuted in 1965

Barbara Eden appreciated how Lucille Ball regarded her as an actress.

Almost a decade before Eden became known for I Dream of Jeannie, she guest starred on I Love Lucy in 1957. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress, 94, recalled working with the funnywoman when she appeared as Diana Jordan in the season six episode, titled “Country Club Dance.”

In the episode, Lucy and Ricky are invited to a country club event by their friends, the Munsons. The women are excited for an opportunity to dress up, but the men bemoan what they think will be a boring night ahead. That changes when the Munsons arrive with their house guest, cousin Diana, whose good looks leave them stunned.

“Oh my goodness, [Ball] was wonderful. She was wonderful to me,” Eden told the outlet. “She made sure that my costume was right. She made it sexier for the part. I understand she had trouble, I know, with people because of him, but I went out of my way to stay out of his way.”

Lucy watches Ricky dance with Diana Jordan (Barbara Eden)Credit: CBS

Eden clarified that she was referring to Desi Arnaz, noting “I didn’t go near it. And I think [Lucy] appreciated that because she really, really ... wanted to put me under contract.”

The actress explained that Ball had been working on a class for female comedians and had an appreciation for Eden’s talents. Fate had other plans, however, and Fox picked up Eden’s contract.

The actress echoed this sentiment in a 2022 Christmas Con panel, recalling her nerves at pursuing the guest appearance, which was just her third role since arriving in Hollywood.

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“She was wonderful! She was absolutely a wonderful, beautiful person to work with. I’d had a little difficulty with the second [job], who was a diva I worked with and she didn’t like me, so I was really worried,” Eden admitted.

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Barbara Eden as Diana Jordan in “I Love Lucy”Credit: CBS

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE in early July during the red carpet for Project Angel Food’s seventh Lead with Love event at KTLA 5 Studios in Hollywood, Eden looked back at getting her big break on I Dream of Jeannie.

“They had every tall brunette, winner of many beauty contests, they were testing,” she explained. “I thought, ‘Oh, it’s not for me.’ The Middle Eastern girl, and that’s what they wanted.”

She added, “I’m a blonde, short blonde. And then my agent sent me a script, and I read it. And then I went, ‘Oh, this seems familiar.’ And he said, ‘Barbara, how did you like it?’ “

Eden recalled telling her agent that she really liked the script, and that he responded, “ ‘Well, that’s good because they’re going to, they’ve offered you the part. You have the part.’ “

“He said, ‘You have the part.’ And I said, ‘Do they know what I look like?’ “ she quipped.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”