The Brady Bunch cast – then and now

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When you think of your favorite show, is it safe to assume that a sitcom is up there in the top three? They offer up all the comic relief that we need from the day thanks to their relatability and humorous moments. Plus, the characters are enough to fall in love with over and over again. Just take the likes of How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang theory, and Friends. They have all been voted as some of the best show in the world, and what do they all have in common? They are all sitcoms. However, there was one series that got the world laughing long before these were on the scene. That’s right; we’re talking about The Brady Bunch.

The show followed the lives of a blended family as Carol Martin, and her three daughters, join forces with Mike Brady and his three sons. Will they all be able to get along or will life in the Brady household all prove to be too much? The series first hit our screens in 1969, and the five seasons on the air have since grown to become a classic for generations to come. Who would have thought? Although it’s been 44 years since we first saw the series on our screens, that isn’t to say we have forgotten the stars of the show. In fact, why not take a look back at what the actors and actresses have been up to all these years? After all, four decades leaves a lot of time for change…

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Jan is the middle sister of the show, and one of the younger children in the family. However, being the middle child proves to be an awkward place for this character. A lot of her storylines follow Jan struggling with her jealousy of older sister, Marcia, as Jan feels she is always the less popular one. Plus, Jan spends a lot of the time worrying about her glasses and freckles, in addition to not having a boyfriend. Eventually, the character discovers her talent for painting and begins studying as an architect, just like Mike.

Over the years, Eve’s most famous role has always been for playing Jan on the show. The actress reappeared for some of the reunion shows but eventually fell away from the character. Eve has continued to act over the years with many of her roles being on stage. As if that wasn’t enough, it seems as though some of Jan has continued with the actress throughout her life as she has been a successful painter for the last 20 years. In fact, many of her pieces have been sold all across the country.

This character is the eldest of Mike’s sons, as well as being the oldest child of the new family. Greg is the all-American boy that managed to break hearts all around the world thanks to his surfing, guitar playing, and football skills. If that wasn’t enough, Greg also wants to grow up to become a famous singer. Although he wants his independence from everyone else in the family, Greg is also always there for his younger siblings no matter what.

This actor is another on the list to have returned for many of The Brady Bunch reunions over the years as he continues to bring his character to life. As well as his time on set, Barry was also a contestant on the reality show Celebrity Boxing, as well as appearing in various stage shows. As if that wasn’t enough, Barry has also had a thriving singing career that even saw the actor perform the national anthem at the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup.

The youngest of all the Brady daughters is Cindy, the precocious member of the family. To keep up with her youthful charm, Cindy is almost always seen with her hair in braids or worn in corkscrew curls, as well as speaking with a lisp. It was rumored that producers asked the actress to put on her speech impediment. However, it was all Cindy! Over the course of the show, Cindy is often the one that finds out all the gossip on everyone else and isn’t shy to share her findings.

Just like many of her costars, Susan also appeared in various The Brady Bunch spin-offs in the years since the show. However, the actress admits that playing the young, sweet character of Cindy saw her lose out on many tougher roles as she tried to break out in Hollywood over the years. Now, she is an animal welfare activist as well as using her spare time to create many pieces of art that she uses to highlight social issues across the nation.

Pat might have only appeared in a small scene in the show, but she made a significant impact during her time with the other characters. Pat was auditioning for the part of head cheerleader. However, her competition was Jennifer Nichols, Greg Brady’s girlfriend, and Marcia, Greg’s sister. Although it looked as if Greg was going to choose Jennifer or Marcia, he eventually gave the part as head cheerleader to Pat as he believed she was the best for the job.

Rita was only in one episode of the show, but the actress soon moved onto much bigger projects. Over the years, Rita has appeared in the likes of the rom-coms Sleepless in Seattle, The Story of Us, and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” to name just a few. However, the actress gets to spend a lot more time on the red carpet than she ever thought thanks to her Hollywood husband, Tom Hanks. The couple have been married since 1988.

Peter is the middle of the Brady boys in the series. Unfortunately, this character has plenty of his own personal demons to battle throughout the show. Peter believes he is the misfit of the series as he thinks he’s got no personality, as well as often knocking into things thanks to his clumsiness. Regardless, Peter still manages to attract plenty of attention from the girls, even though he is the only one to leave the show without a partner.

Appearing on The Brady Bunch is still the most significant acting role for Christopher. However, the actor has since gone on to become a major businessman, too. Over the years, Christopher has remained in the media spotlight thanks to his many appearances on reality TV shows, such as The Surreal Life, and My Fair Brady. The actor was also married to modeling competition show winner Adrianne Curry from America’s Next Top Model. Unfortunately, many felt as though the relationship was for the cameras, and it fell apart for good in 2012.

Laura may have only made two appearances throughout the show, but she was an important background character for her episodes. Laura first appeared in 1971 as part of the entertainment committee at the school working with Marcia. Here, they are in charge of booking someone to entertain at their senior prom only to have to try and land the singer Davy Jones without much luck. The character then reappears for another episode a couple of years later in 1973.

This actress was one of the many that used The Brady Bunch as a starting point for a considerable career yet to come. After appearing on the show, Kimberly went on to star in her biggest role as Trish in the horror movie Friday the 13th: the Final Chapter. Although she has continued to appear in smaller parts over the years, Kimberly has mainly kept away from the spotlight. According to the actress, a lifetime of acting had taken its toll, and she wants to live a slower lifestyle.

This character accidentally finds herself tangled up in a Peter/Arthur mess. Peter Brady meets his dopplegänger, Arthur, and asks his new look alike to help play a prank on his family. However, when no one can tell them apart, they use this to their advantage. Pamela gets asked on a date by Arthur while he’s pretending to be Peter, but Peter has already made plans with another girl. Now, they must juggle who is meant to be where without anyone finding out. Confusing enough for you?

Before appearing in the show, Denise had already made quite the name for herself in Hollywood thanks to her roles as Violet Beauregarde in the musical fantasy film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Nora Collins and Amy Jennings in the soap Dark Shadows. She might have been just 21 years old at the time, but Denise decided to retire in 1978. Over the years, she has sporadically appeared in smaller roles on TV but mainly limits her time in the limelight to guest appearances.

The youngest boy of all the Bradys, Bobby. This character is often overlooked by the others thanks to his immature personality and quiet nature. Although he might blend into the background, Bobby dreams of big plans for his future. Some of his career goals include becoming an astronaut, a cowboy, and even a race car driver among other things. Bobby did manage to achieve one of his dreams after he met and played football with Broadway Joe, the former football player.

Unfortunately, growing up as a child star meant that Mike developed a drinking dependency at a young age. In fact, the actor admits he didn’t start living his childhood until he was 20 years old. Over the years, Mike continued to appear in various The Brady Bunch spin-offs and was ultimately able to get clean before marrying his high school sweetheart. After all the drama of Hollywood, Mike opted to quit acting and turned to making concrete countertops instead.

Here, we have the eldest of all of Carol’s daughters, Marcie. She is the mature and beautiful character that often has everyone turning their heads. Plus, she often teams up with her older step-brother, Greg, to keep control of the other children when their parents are away. Over the course of the series, we get to see Marcia go through a whole host of struggles with her self-confidence, including having to wear braces while still in high school, and getting a swollen nose after taking a football to the face from her brother, Peter. As if that wasn’t enough, Marcie also frequently falls victim to her emotions thanks to her many crushes throughout the show.

The end of the show didn’t mark the end of this actress’ Brady Bunch career. No, Maureen reappeared as Marcie for many of the reunion movies and shows over the years before moving onto other projects in Hollywood. Some of her most recent appearances have been in the reality series Celebrity Fit Club, as well as the reality competition show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Unfortunately, the actress took some years away from the spotlight following struggles with depression and a narcotics addiction. Thankfully, it looks as though Maureen has remained on the straight and narrow, even releasing an autobiography depicting her issues in addition to appearing on many talk shows to tell her side of the story.

In the middle of the final season, we are introduced to Cousin Oliver. Overall, he appeared for six episodes. Throughout his time on the show, we learn that Cousin Oliver must stay with the Bradys while his parents are away living somewhere in South America. Sadly, many believe the character was used to try and bring more childlike innocence to the show since the other Bradys were growing up. For this reason, he didn’t sit well with hardened fans of the series.

Robbie might have only been in the show for the final few episodes, but he still went on to carve quite the acting career for himself. Over the years, Robbie has provided voiced in the superhero film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as the cartoon Kidd Video, and the animated children’s show Doc McStuffins. When he isn’t acting, Robbie has recently joined forces with director and producer Anthony C. Ferrante to create the music for the comedy Sharknado franchise.

Carol Brady isn’t your average TV mom. Rather than being the stereotypical, goody two shoes housewife, she has a playful sense of humor and is a devoted writer and political activist. She seems to be able to do it all: write and sculpt during the days and have dinner ready on the table by night. She loves to go toe-to-toe with her husband and deliver excellent and hilarious quips at his expense. Overall she is a devoted mother and wife.

Before the legend Florence Henderson passed away in 2016 at 82 years old from heart failure, she was a highly acclaimed singer. She had starred on Broadway and toured the country with a number of popular musicals including South Pacific and The Sound of Music. The hilarious and clever actress had appeared on the hit TV series 30 Rock, Trophy Wife, and Happily Divorced in the recent years before her passing. Her last film role was in the raunchy action comedy Bad Grandmas.

Who could forget the sweet and guarded Alice Nelson? The Brady Family’s housekeeper didn’t just clean the home for the bunch, she was a dear and close friend. Unlike the biting sense of humor of Carol, Alice’s humor was much more self-deprecating and inward. She couldn’t resist making herself the butt of the joke. She dated the lovable and good hearted Sam Franklin for much of the show’s run and together they were award-winning dancers and bowlers.

Although The Brady Bunch is certainly Davis’s biggest claim to fame, she also also garnered praise for her appearances on The Love Boat and in the smash comedy film Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult. She decided to quit Hollywood for good in 1997 and decided to continue her extended volunteer work at a Denver, Colorado church. In 2014 Davis tragically passed away from subdural hematoma after suffering a fall at her home. She was 88 years old.

Nora is Greg’s future wife who appears in the TV film, A Very Brady Christmas, as well as the short-lived spinoff, 1990’s The Bradys. As the anxious but adoring mother she struggles to find the balance between her work life as a registered nurse and her home life with her family. In the film she decides to spend Christmas with her family, leaving Greg and the kids at the Brady house. She changes her mind, however, and eventually travels the distance to be there with her family.

Caryn Richman made her breakout screen acting debut in the mystery TV series The Eddie Capra Mysteries. Before moving out to Los Angeles she appeared as Sandy in the Broadway musical hit Grease. From there she continued to work steadily in Hollywood and went on to appear in the hit series Party of Five, Malibu, CA, and in 2014 of the critically acclaimed comedy series Maron. You may also recognize her from her popular Good Feet commercials or her multiple appearances on MSNBC’s The Larry Elder Show.

Jerry Houser played Wally Logan, Marcia’s messy and erratic husband. When he is on the job as a toy salesman he is charismatic and sharp. He takes his job seriously and hustles to make the big bucks for his family. When he’s off the job, however, he is quite the slob. It’s hard for him to balance both sides of his personality and it proves difficult for him to keep a job. Throughout the series he loses several jobs.

In addition to leading an impressive acting career, his most recent roles came from his voice. That’s right, Jerry Houser, is an incredibly successful voice actor who has voiced roles in the children’s hit series As Told by Ginger, Danger Rangers, and Tom and Jerry Kids Show. Houser says that it was the classic 1997 sports comedy Slap Shot that earned him his big break. 40 years after the hit film premiered, Houser is currently laying low from spotlight. Here’s hoping he returns with an exciting project that showcases his comedic talents.

Greg’s beautiful and cheerful teacher Linda looks out for him. When Greg begins failing his math class, she encourages him to keep it up. She has such an effect on him in fact that he even writes a love letter to her which Carol and Mike discover. They intervene fortunately and instead of proclaiming his love to get the A, Linda promises two tickets to a baseball game (her fiancé is a Baseball player) if he succeeds in the class.

Even at 77 years old, Gigi Perreau (pictured right) still works the odd Hollywood job or two. She last lent her vocal talents to last year’s Crash: The Animated Movie. She will also star in the upcoming crime pilot TV Pilot the MIX opposite action star Jasmine Waltz. She has four children from two previous marriage and her most recent, to production manager Gene Harve deRuelle, ended in 2000 after 30 years together. Fun fact: she was the drama teacher for newly-minted royalty Meghan Markle.

If you cast your mind back to season three of The Brady Bunch, you might remember a little wheeler-dealer by the name of Eddie – but if you don’t remember, we don’t blame you! After all, you probably want to remove this nuisance from your memories. Eddie is a friend of Greg’s, who owns a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible. At least, he did own it, before he sold the heap of junk to the unsuspecting Greg. Before too long, Greg realizes that his friend hasn’t been completely honest with him…

Christopher Beaumont had the pleasure of appearing in four episodes of The Brady Bunch between 1971 and 1973, but it’s fair to say that his career in show business has since slowed down. After his time on the show, Christopher continued to act in major dramas such as The Waltons and The Partridge Family, and even entered the world of directing and writing. He continued to write for action shows such as Pensacola: Wings of Gold and ‘Die Gang,’ but has not put his name to anything since 1997.

If you remember Rachel, there’s a high chance that your heart went out to her – because she was definitely not lucky in love. Despite the fact that she has a little thing for Greg and he has a little thing for her, you’d think all would be hunky-dory. Unfortunately, things start to go downhill when they go on a date and Bobby decides to join them. Instead of sitting quietly as the third wheel, Bobby does everything in his power to disrupt their date… Including ripping the roof off of Mike’s precious convertible.

Although Hope Juber only took on a small role within The Brady Bunch, she soon became a huge name in its history. After the original series came to an end, Hope scored herself a role as the writer for various TV movies and documentary shows, including The Brady Brides and The Brady Bunch in the White House. Although she has now disappeared from the limelight, her last producing credit came in 2004, when she produced the 35th anniversary reunion television special of The Brady Bunch TV show.

John Wheeler had the pleasure of appearing in three separate episodes of The Brady Bunch, including ‘The Hair-Brained Scheme,’ ‘Dough Re Mi,’ and ‘The Tattle-Tale.’ In these episodes, he took on three different characters, but his most memorable scene came as The Postman. After Cindy decides to be a tattle-tale and tell Sam that Alice was found hugging the postman, he gets annoyed. However, it seems as though Alice was just really happy that her package had arrived, and just couldn’t hold in her happiness. She just had to hug him!

Known for his bald head and his iconic voice, John Wheeler managed to bag himself a fairly full schedule after his time on The Brady Bunch. In fact, he worked on numerous television shows, including comedy and drama shows such as The Golden Girls, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Waltons, and Baby Talk. As if that wasn’t enough, he also worked on action shows, such as The New Adventures of Superman and Beverly Hills, 90210. His last acting credit came in 2001, when he appeared in the crime drama, The Huntress. Sadly, he has been quiet ever since.

Jimmy Bracken took on three different characters in The Brady Bunch, but we all remember him for appearing on our screens as Jimmy in the season two episode, ‘What Goes Up…’ In this episode, we get the chance to see a different backdrop in The Brady Bunch. Instead of showcasing the inside of the house or the school, we get to see a treehouse! The treehouse is taken over by Peter, Tommy, and Jimmy, but Bobby also wants a go. Although he manages to get into the treehouse, he soon falls right off.

Jimmy Bracken was only a child when he appeared on The Brady Bunch, and although he managed to score himself other roles as a child star – it seems as though this wasn’t the career path he hoped to enjoy. After leaving the world of acting in 1978, Jimmy took himself back to normality and continued his studies. Alongside this, he also enjoyed playing golf both as a hobby and competitively. This sporting talent has now worked in his favor, as he is now a college golf coach who rarely thinks about his previous life.

Kathy Lawrence was the kind of girl you loved to hate, whether you wanted to or not. While she was the classmate of Marcia, she was also the friend and enemy – because we’re not even sure what they were! They were on and off more than a light switch, and we couldn’t work out whether they hated each other or were best friends for life. The two girls would often make each other jealous with their cheerleading routines and their interactions with boys, and Kathy could create a meaaaan cheerleading chant.

Amazingly, Sheri Cowart’s role on The Brady Bunch was just her second professional acting role. Since her time on the show, Sheri has attempted to maintain her acting career – but it has not worked too well for her. During the mid-‘80s she appeared in the musical shows, The Cotton Club and Fame, and she even took on the role as the scullery maid in the TV movie of Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical, back in 2001. However, she has not been heard from since, and we’re not sure what she’s up to now. Where are you Sheri?

To understand who Johnny is, we need to take a trip to the bicycle store. Luckily, Mike and Carol take a trip there in ‘Every Boy Does It Once’ so we can tag along! In the store, Mike and Carol are trying their hardest to pick out the best bicycle for Bobby and get talking to a rather creepy salesman. That salesman is called Johnny and does everything he can to make the pair spend more than they should. However, he does a pretty good job, and the pair eventually buys a bike – so not all is lost!

Although he only took on a small role in The Brady Bunch, it’s fair to say that Michael Lerner is now one of the most famous people to have appeared on the show. In fact, Michael has been acting consistently since 1963 and is still going strong today! In recent years, Michael has worked on both movies and television shows and has just finished two movies. As if that wasn’t cool enough, he has also just signed up for two new biographical drama movies, including Fragments From Olympus: The Vision of Nikola Tesla.

Kerry MacLane appeared in season five of The Brady Bunch, in the ‘Mail Order Hero’ episodes, and it’s no secret that he got the chance to work with one of the coolest men in the world; Joe Namath. During this episode, Bobby brags to all of his friends – including Eric Parker – that he knows the famous quarterback. Of course, he doesn’t know him personally, but he soon sets about a plan that will get him right into the palm of his hands. Amazingly, it works out, because it always works out!

Kerry MacLane was a popular child star in the 1970s and appeared on major comedy and drama shows including The Cowboys, The Waltons, and Bonanza. However, unlike many other child stars, Kerry did not continue his career after building up a successful repertoire. In fact, his last acting credit came in 1976 when he appeared in the Western television show, The Quest. Since then, he has disappeared out of the limelight and seems to have opted for a life away from the cameras.

Tommy appeared in the season two episode, ‘Where There’s Smoke,’ and it’s fair to say that he made a lasting impression on the Brady family. After vowing to quit smoking and attend an anti-smoking class, Greg leaves the class with his jacket in tow. It’s all going so well until a packet of cigarettes falls out of the jacket. Not knowing how they got there, Greg tried to prove to his parents that they were not his, and it didn’t take long for him to realize that he had accidentally swapped jackets with Tommy Johnson.

During the ‘60s and ‘70s, Craig Huxley was a huge name in the acting game. He appeared on various soap operas and sitcoms, including The Brady Bunch – but during this time, he also used another talent to his advantage. As music producer and musician, Craig Huxley has since made a huge name for himself within the movie and television world and has even worked within the music departments of TV shows such as The Orville and Walker, Texas Ranger. Thanks to this work, Craig has won an Emmy Award and been nominated for a Grammy.

After he makes his transition into the world of high school, Greg Brady seems to think that he is going to rule the school as the man of the house. However, with his brothers and sisters giving him a hard time at school, he has to make it his mission to become the big dog at school. After all, if he thinks he’s going to succeed, he’s going to succeed, right? This new self-confidence also made its way into his personal life, and he thought he could win over the pretty senior he had been eyeing up…The girl, played by Julie Cobb.

Julie Cobb didn’t even have a name when she appeared in The Brady Bunch, but we can safely say that she has definitely made a name for herself now. Since her time on the show, Julie has been able to maintain a fairly busy acting schedule. She has worked on major television shows and even used her talents within Hollywood. In 2017, she took on the role of Diane Revere on the comedy-drama, Whatta Lark. Thankfully, she is still going strong in the acting world today and is set to continue on that path.

Desi Arnaz Jr. had the pleasure of playing himself in season one of The Brady Bunch, and it’s fair to say that his appearance was one to remember. After Marcia finds herself crushing over the young man, she decides to write all about him in her diary. However, Cindy accidentally throws out her diary, and Marcia is soon realizing that her secret may come out. Yet, it all seems to work out when Alice makes sure that she gets a personal visit from Desi Arnaz Jr. himself.

As the son of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz Jr. was famous before he even made his debut onto the screen – but when he did, the world went wild. After his time on the show, Desi managed to maintain a fairly successful acting career and worked on various TV movies as himself or other characters. His last acting credit came in 1992 when he appeared the drama movie, The Mambo Kings. Since then, he has continued to perform as a professional drummer, and is living a quiet life within the music world.

The Brady Bunch would not be The Brady Bunch without the family’s patriarch, Mike Brady. As Carol’s husband, Mike finds his world turned upside down when he and his sons join Carol and her daughters to become one big, blended family. Before long, the famous Bradys are living their lives and causing a ruckus wherever they go. As an esteemed architect, Mike is well-respected and professional during his work life, but that doesn’t mean he’s the same at home. In fact, his family life couldn’t have been any different…

Robert Reed will always be remembered as Mike Brady, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t put his talents to good use after the show ended. In fact, Reed continued his career until 1992, when he sadly passed away. His passing followed a cancer diagnosis in 1991, exacerbated by an autoimmune disease that at the time had been ravaging men within the LGBT community (to which Reed belonged). During his final days, Reed only allowed actress and friend Anne Haney, and his daughter to visit him in the hospital.