The Brady Bunch: Then And Now - The Delite

The Brady Bunch: Then And Now



The Brady Bunch is one of the most famous television sitcoms. Featuring a blended family, the Bradys, it was considered one of the last “old-style” family sitcoms. It had a massive cultural impact, even in the present, with inspiration and parodies appearing in much modern media. But what’s up with the cast of the Brady Bunch today? Well, let’s take a look and find out.

Mike Brady


Mike Brady, the patriarch of the Brady Family, was played by Robert Reed. He studied acting at Northwestern University and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. After graduating, he returned to the United States and joined the off-Broadway theater group “The Summer Shakespearewrights”. In 1961, he earned his first serious onscreen acting gig, portraying Kenneth Preston on The Defenders.

Robert Reed


Seven years after The Defenders, Reed was casted for The Brady Bunch. Over the years he reprised the role in a few films and specials before becoming a drama teacher at the University of California. Unfortunately, at the age of 59, Reed passed away in 1992.

Carol Brady


Florence Henderson portrayed the matriarch of the Brady Family, Carol. Before appearing in The Brady Bunch, Henderson appeared in Broadway musicals, such as Wish You Were Here and Fanny. Her singing and dancing always earned her admiration, the former of which she had been taught to do by her mother since she was two.

Florence Henderson


After The Brady Bunch ended, Henderson was able to make quite the name for herself. She was the first woman to co-host The Tonight Show and in 2008 she even got her own show, The Florence Henderson Show. Additionally, she had roles in The King of Queens30 Rock, and The Cleveland ShowEntertainment Weekly actually had her ranked as 54th on their list of 100 greatest TV icons. Henderson died Thanksgiving Day in 2016 at the age of 82.

Bobby Brady


Bobby Brady, the youngest of the Brady boys, was played by Mike Lookinland. He first started working on The Brady Bunch when he was just nine years old. The role quickly shot him to superstardom, however. In VH1’s list of “100 Greatest Kid Stars”, Lookinland ranked 42.

Mike Lookinland


Lookinland did go on to portray Bobby in six different spin-off series. However, eventually he found himself behind the camera instead of in front of it. He worked as a production assistant on numerous films, crediting Robert Reed for influencing his passion for cameras. Reed had actually gifted each cast member with a Super 8 camera. He currently operates his own business in Salt Lake City, which makes decorative concrete.

Greg Brady


Greg Brady, the oldest of the Brady sons, was played by Barry Williams. Williams’ interest in acting had begun at a fairly early age. He actually sought advice from his famous neighbor, Peter Graves, in order to achieve his dream of entering show business. When he was just 11, he even changed his last name from Blenkhorn to Williams. Thanks to an acting course and coach, he managed to get his first acting gig in 1965. And four years later he became Greg Brady.

Barry Williams


Initially after the ending of The Brady Bunch, he released a few albums and toured with some of his co-stars. Although, he made a shift from television to musical theater. He was casted in shows like West Side StoryGreaseThe Music Man, and West Side Story. Although, he didn’t stop appearing on television altogether. He had a few guest appearances on General HospitalThree’s Company, and That’s ’70s Show. Most recently, he’s also been a DJ on Sirius Satellite Radio, where he spins 70s music.

Peter Brady


Peter Brady, the middle Brady son, was played by Christopher Knight. Knight was already appearing on TV commercials. He got his first big acting gig in 1955 when he appeared on Gunsmoke, but he didn’t became famous until he began portraying Peter Brady. His handsome looks and charm actually made him a popular teen icon as well.

Christopher Knight


After The Brady Bunch ended, Christopher Knight stopped acting. In 1988, he just decided to have a career change. He began working at the computer company Martec, excelling as a sales representative. He ended up becoming the vice president of a fair amount of computer companies before founding his own company, Eskape Labs. But, in 2003, he returned to television as a reality star in My Fair Brady and The Surreal Life.

Cindy Brady


Cindy Brady, the youngest of the Brady daughters, was portrayed by Susan Olsen. As with Knight, Olsen’s first onscreen debut was also in Gunsmoke. She was only eight when she was casted as Cindy, but she quickly became known for her kind, little girl persona and curly pigtails.

Susan Olsen


After her time as Cindy came to an end, Susan Olsen became a graphic designer, working for a clothing store in Malibu, California. Later, she started her own company, Man in Space, and created glow-in-the-dark Converse sneakers. Later on, she became a radio personality on LA Talk Radio and ended up a spokeswoman for Migraine Awareness Month. It hasn’t been all good though. She ended up being fired from her show Two Chicks Talkin’ Politics after a homophobic rant against gay actor Leon Acord-Whiting.

Marcia Brady


Marcia Brady, the oldest of the Brady daughters, was played by Maureen McCormick. She was cast at age 13. While McCormick is best known for this role, she was able to portray her well as a smart, kind, and noble young woman. She quickly became America’s sweetheart during the series’ run.

Maureen McCormick


However, after the show ended, McCormick began struggling with maintaining her good-girl persona. It didn’t help that she had trouble finding work. She released a collection of country songs and married Michael Cummings, but she still had trouble finding herself. She spent years battling body dysphoria and drug addiction, but finally managed to make a comeback to TV. She appeared as a contestant on VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club and on Dancing With The Stars 23rd season. She actually won the former competition.

Jan Brady


Jan Brady, the middle daughter of the Brady Family, was played by Eve Plumb. She had started acting at an early age and was already used to acting by then. She had first landed a few gigs on commercials, but soon after got casted on shows like The Virginian and It Takes a Thief.

Eve Plumb


Nowadays, Plumb isn’t just an actress, but a singer and painter. While she was offered contract extensions to play Jan in reunion attempts, she ultimately decided against it. Instead, she went on to play more dynamic roles, such as a teen prostitute in Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway. While she still appears on TV and in films from time to time, she’s now more often a painter. Critically acclaimed, she paints from her studio in Laguna Beach, California. Her paintings go from anywhere between $65 to $2,450.

Alice Nelson


Alice Nelson, the housekeeper of the Brady Family, was portrayed by Ann B. Davis. She had also appeared in other popular television series, such as The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. She admitted that acting wasn’t her initial career path, but changed her mind after witnessing her brother’s theater performances. Initially, she was pre-med.

Ann B. Davis


Davis’ character was actually so popular she was one of two actors to have actually appeared in every episode of The Brady Bunch. While she reappeared in her famous role in six different spin-off series, she ultimately retired from acting in 1974. She joined an Episcopalian religious community in Denver, Colorado and became a born-again Christian. And in 2014, she died at the age of 88.

Cousin Oliver


Cousin Oliver was played by Robbie Rist. He’s best known for his role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, but he this was one of his earliest roles. As the Brady children began to get older, Cousin Oliver, a younger character, was added in to improve ratings. Rist was only nine when he joined the cast.

Robbie Rist


Oliver was just as endearing as endearing as he was irritating to the general public. After the show ended, Rist found his niche producing music and doing voiceover work. He and direct Anthony C. Ferrante actually provided music for the Sharknado franchise and has voiced numerous characters in English dubs of anime and video games.

Sam Franklin


Sam Franklin, Alice Nelson’s boyfriend, was played by Allan Melvin. Melvin’s fame spread farther than The Brady Bunch, having also appeared in Flash Gordon and The Phil Rivers Shows. He was casted as Sam Franklin in 1969, where he portrayed the owner of the neighborhood butcher shop.

Allan Melvin


Melvin’s one of the few stars from The Brady Bunch to not be particularly remembers for sitcom appearances. He appeared on Broadway as well. Following his stint on The Brady Bunch, he began focusing mostly on cartoon voiceovers. In 2008, Melvin died of cancer at age 84.

Pat Conway


Pat Conway, rival to Marcia, was played by Rita Wilson. Wilson appeared in many shows after her time on The Brady Bunch, but it was her appearance in an episode in 1972 that she owes at least some of her success to.

Rita Wilson is an American actress and producer born in Los Angeles, California. Unlike a few other Brady Bunch stars, Wilson is more known for her roles in hit movies like Sleepless in Seattle in 1993, Jingle all the Way in 1996, and Runaway Bride in 1999. However, Wilson does owe some of her success to her appearance on The Brady Bunch in 1972.

Rita Wilson


Wilson was rocketed to fame and stardom, even marrying Tom Hanks in 1988. Over the past 47 years, she’s appeared in many television series and films, such as My Big Fat Greek LifeThe Good WifeThe Glass House, and The Wild Thornberrys.