Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson | |
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![]() Anthony Nelson, played by Larry Hagman | |
Vital characteristics: | |
Species: | Human |
Job/Career: | Astronaut at NASA Cape Kennedy base, Cocoa Beach, FL |
Rank/Title (If any): | Major Anthony Nelson, USAF (0-4) |
Alias(es): | None |
Nickname(s): | "Tony" (nickname) |
Gender | Male |
Status: | Military reservist |
Height: | 6'0" |
Weight: | 188 kbs, |
Hair color: | Brown |
Eyes | Blue |
Nationality: | White |
Date of birth: | c. 1932 |
Born in: | Dallas, TX, U.S. |
Died: | ???? |
Died in: | ???? |
Resides in | Cocoa Beach, FL, U.S. |
Family/Personal information: | |
Spouse(s): | Jeannie, 1970-present |
Domestic partner(s): | None |
Children: | Anthony "T.J." Nelson, Jr. (son) |
Related to: | Mrs. Nelson (mother) Arville Nelson (cousin) |
About: | Discovers bottle washed ashore on Cocoa Beach during mission, out of which Jeannie pops out of, where he becomes her master |
Character information | |
Appeared on/in: | I Dream of Jeannie I Dream Of Jeannie: 15 Years Later (TV movie) |
Number of episodes: | 139 episodes |
First appeared in: | "The Lady in the Bottle" (Season 1, pilot episode) |
Last appeared in: | "My Master, The Chili King" (Season 5) |
Portrayed by | Larry Hagman (on TV series) Wayne Rogers (in I Dream Of Jeannie: 15 Years Later movie) |
Major Anthony Nelson is a character in I Dream of Jeannie. He was played by Larry Hagman. In the 1985 NBC movie I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later, he was played by Wayne Rogers.
About Tony[]
Captain Tony Nelson, United States Air Force, is an astronaut and a jet pilot for NASA. He is on a space flight when his one-man capsule Stardust One comes down far from the planned recovery area, near a deserted island in the South Pacific. On the beach, Tony notices a strange bottle that rolls by itself. When he rubs it after removing the stopper, smoke starts shooting out and a Persian-speaking female genie (wearing an enticing harem costume) materializes and kisses Tony on the lips with passion, shocking him. (In the second season's animated opening, it is a kiss on the cheek; and, Tony is happy to receive it.)
They cannot understand each other until Tony expresses his wish that Jeannie (a homophone of genie) could speak English, which she then does. Then, per his instructions, she "blinks" and causes a recovery helicopter to show up to rescue Tony, who is so grateful that he tells her she is free. But Jeannie, who has fallen in love with Tony at first sight after being trapped for 2,000 years, re-enters her bottle and rolls it into Tony's duffel bag so she can accompany him back home. One of the first things Jeannie does, in a subsequent episode, is break up Tony's engagement to his commanding general's daughter, who, along with that particular general, is never seen again. (This event reflects producer Sidney Sheldon's decision that the engagement depicted in the pilot episode would not be part of the series continuity; he realized the romantic triangle he created between Jeannie, "Master", and Melissa Stone wouldn't pan out in the long run.)
Tony at first keeps Jeannie in her bottle most of the time; but, he finally relents and allows her to enjoy a life of her own. However, her life is devoted mostly to his, and most of their problems stem from her love and affection towards Tony and her desire to please him and fulfill her ancient heritage as a genie, especially when he doesn't want her to do so. His efforts to cover up Jeannie's antics, because of his fear that he would be dismissed from the space program if her existence were known, brings him to the attention of NASA's resident psychiatrist, U.S. Air Force Colonel Dr. Alfred Bellows. In a running gag, Dr. Bellows tries over and over to prove to his superiors that Tony is either crazy or hiding something, but he is always foiled ("He's done it to me, again!"), and Tony's job remains secure.
His cousin Arvel Nelson is always looking to make a quick buck.
He and Jeannie later have a son Anthony "T.J." Nelson, Jr.