Marcia! Marcia! Marcia! Little sister Jan envied her hazel-eyed older sibling and millions of young boys fell in love with the ideal, well-adjusted teen-ager.
Portraying the perfect girl eventually took a toll on Maureen's imperfect personal life, as she later became addicted to drugs and suffered from depression. Yet on-screen, she was Marcia Brady, she of perfect long blonde hair, a dazzling smile and perfect teeth. She was America's favorite teen-age girl.
You know the story of “The Brady Bunch”... A lovely lady with three daughters who had hair of gold met this man named Brady... and they knew it was much more than a hunch.. So Marcia gained three step-brothers and the new family consisted of two parents, six kids, a maid, and a dog.
“The Brady Bunch” was an American cultural phenomenon, appointment television on Friday nights for teen-age kids during its five year run. The show didn't garner blockbuster ratings, never rising higher than 30th in the Nielsen ratings, but the series spoke to young adults. Creator Sherwood Schwartz attributed the show's popularity to the fact that the episodes were written from the standpoint of the kids.
As the oldest daughter and most popular character in the Brady household, Marcia's trials and tribulations were the centerpiece of many storylines. Her most memorable episode occurred when she met teen idol Davy Jones of The Monkees.
"Playing Marcia was a double-edged sword; it always will be whenever you play a character like that,” Maureen said on The Today Show in 2009. “You will be known as that character forever. So much good came from being on the show, so much fun that I had.
“At the same time, it was weird because I felt like I had to show to the public that I was Marcia — perfect, with no problems. I didn’t think I could be my imperfect self. I pretended I was Marcia, so I was always playing this role. I became her, but yet I wasn’t. It’s strange."
Marcia's flawless character only exposed Maureen's real-life insecurities.
“There was a lot of pressure to be thin so I always tried to hide my stomach,” she said, explaining why Marcia held towels in front of her when wearing a bathing suit.
There were stories of off-screen romances among the “Brady” actors. Barry Williams (Greg Brady) claimed to have an affair with his TV step-mother Florence Henderson (Carol Brady), which she vehemently denied. Maureen admitted that she and Williams had an on-again, off-again relationship during those five years.
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Classic TV Beauties 1960s Countdown
MAUREEN McCORMICK as Marcia Brady in "The Brady Bunch"
“I was attracted to all the men on the set,” she said on The Today Show. “Barry and I were extremely attracted to each other. It was awkward to be in scenes playing brother and sister. People started seeing it.”
Schwartz originally selected Maureen to play the part of middle daughter Jan, the role that eventually went to Eve Plumb. But when Schwartz decided to use younger children for the Brady kids, Maureen became the oldest daughter.
“There were a ton of boys and girls,” Maureen said of the audtions. “(Schwartz) really wanted to know what our personalities were like, more than anything. He wanted to get people who were nice to work with.”
Born in Encino, California, Maureen won the Baby Miss San Fernando Valley beauty pageant at age 6. She appeared on TV for Barbie and Chatty Cathy doll commercials at age 8 in 1964.
“Before landing her role in “The Brady Bunch,” Maureen appeared as a child actor in TV shows “Bewitched,” “Honey West,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” and “My Three Sons,” among others.
“The Brady Bunch” aired for five seasons (1969-74), 117 episodes. It concluded when Greg had graduated from college and was set to move away to college.
Maureen and the Brady kids returned to TV numerous times over the next 20 years. “The Brady Bunch Hour” lasted nine episodes in 1977; a TV special “The Brady Girls Get Married” (1981) and series “The Brady Brides” aired the same season.
Maureen suffered from a cocaine addiction, depression and an eating disorder. She told The Today Show that she hit bottom with her drug abuse while making “The Brady Brides.”
“I was supposed to be at the studio, screen testing to pick the guy that would play my husband,” she said. “At this time, I had been up for three days doing coke and was playing solitaire in my closet. My agent had to go to the sixth floor, climb into my place, tear off my clothes and get me in the shower.
“He said, 'You have to get to Paramount right now, and you have a problem.' I couldn’t hide anymore. Everyone knew — the producers knew, everyone at Paramount knew, the guys testing to play my husband knew. It was the first time I had to face that I really had a problem."
In her autobiography Maureen said that her drug abuse cost her a part in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” She eventually became sober.
Maureen starred in two more Brady productions: the TV movie “A Very Brady Christmas” (1990), and in 1993's “Bradymania: A Very Brady Special.”
More recently, Maureen participated in the VH1 reality show “Celebrity Fit Club” in 2007, losing 34 pounds and winning the competition.
Maureen's life lesson to pass on to modern day teen stars?
“To be yourself and learn from your mistakes. If you have a problem, try to get help...When we were on the show, there was no paparazzi. I was really lucky that I got to avoid all that.”
