Real-Life Couples of ‘I Dream of Jeannie’: Which Cast Members Had Their Romance Wishes Come True?
Of Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman, Bill Daily and Hayden Rorke, learn who had the longest marriage of all
Incredible as it may seem, in 2025 the iconic 1960s magical television series I Dream of Jeannie will be celebrating its 60th anniversary. For all this time, fans have laughed at and, in some cases, been touched by the performances of Barbara Eden as Jeannie, Larry Hagman as Major Anthony “Tony” Nelson, Bill Daily as Major Roger Healey and Hayden Rorke as Dr. Alfred Bellows. Much of the show, of course, was about a (very) slowly-building romance between Jeannie and Tony, which would culminate in their marriage; and the efforts of Roger to score with the ladies. Behind the scenes, of course, things with the actors in their personal lives were in some ways similar and in others quite different.
What follows is a look at the three marriages each for Barbara Eden and Bill Daily, and single long-term relationships for Larry Hagman and Hayden Rorke. Along the way, there’s true love, tragedies and couples working together through all of the highs and lows that life presented to them through the years.
Barbara Eden’s three marriages
Barbara Eden and Michael Ansara
Barbara Eden (Jeannie) was married three times, the first to Syrian-American actor Michael Ansara, who was best known for a starring role in the series Broken Arrow, an impactful guest role as the Klingon Kang on the original Star Trek and as the Blue Djinn on I Dream of Jeannie. They were married on January 17, 1958, with Barbara giving birth to their son, Matthew, on August 29, 1965. After 16 years of marriage, the couple divorced in 1974. Even more tragically, Matthew died of a drug overdose in 2001. He was only 35.
Barbara Eden and Charles Fegert
The second time Barbara walked down the aisle, it was with Charles Donald Fegert, who was an executive at the Chicago Sun-Times. They wed in 1977, but their marriage was a difficult one, much of it reportedly stemming from his struggles with substance abuse. Their union would only last five years as they divorced in 1982.
Barbara Eden and Jon Eicholtz
Her third and final marriage (so far, of course) is with real estate developer and architect Jon Eicholtz, who she wed on January 5, 1991. They’ve been together ever since and by all reports have been enjoying an extremely happy life. Barbara is currently 93.
Larry Hagman’s 59-Year marriage to Maj Axelsson
Larry Hagman (Major Anthony Nelson) was married only once, and it was a union that lasted nearly 59 years! His beloved came into his life in 1953 when he was serving in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in England. That’s where he met Maj Axelsson, who was originally from Sweden and was living in the UK at the time. The two fell in love very quickly and were married on December 18, 1954.
During their decades together, Larry’s career went through a series of highs and lows, but their relationship never wavered — even with his battle against alcoholism and resulting health issues. The two were the parents of a daughter and son, respectively Heidi Kristina and Preston. Of their marriage, Larry has said, “The best decision I ever made was marrying Maj. She has always been the one to keep me focused and grounded.”
Larry died on November 23, 2012, with Maj passing away on May 31, 2016.
Bill Daily’s three marriages
Major Roger Healey was a ladies’ man, always on the “hunt,” but the actor who portrayed him limited himself to the three women that he had been married to. Bill Daily first wed Patricia Anderson in 1949, and the two of them would go on to adopt a son named Patrick and daughter named Kimberley. The couple was together until their divorce on January 3, 1976, marking the end of 27 years as husband and wife.
In 1980, Bill married Vivian Sanchez, also an actor. They would spend two years on the road in a touring production of the stage show Lover’s Leap. Things ended in divorce in 1983.
His third wife was Becky Daily, whom Bill married in 1993. Their marriage lasted until Becky’s passing in 2010. Bill Daily died on September 4, 2018, at age 91.
Hayden Rorke’s trailblazing partnership
Although he never married, Hayden Rorke (Dr. Alfred Bellows) enjoyed a long-term relationship with Partner Justus Addiss, who made his living as a television director, his credits including The Twilight Zone, Mister Ed and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. They’d met in 1953 and were together until Justus’ passing in 1979.
“[They] lived together for 40 years, stage managing through World War II, moving to Hollywood at the height of McCarthyism and surviving one chaotic sitcom run,” observes television critic and Rorke biographer Brett White at haydenrorke.com. “Their love story upends what we know about gay life in the 20th century. Hayden didn’t squash tabloid rumors like Rock Hudson, he didn’t obfuscate his sexuality behind multiple dead wives like Raymond Burr, and he didn’t push everyone away with drunken tirades like Paul Lynde. He persevered, never compromising his unashamedly gay self.”
Hayden Rorke himself died on August 19, 1987, age 76, of multiple myeloma.
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