- Maureen McCormick
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Maureen McCormick 
At a booksigning for her book Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice in Maui, December 2009Born Maureen Denise McCormick
August 5, 1956
Encino, California, U.S.Occupation Actress, singer Years active 1964–present Spouse Michael Cummings (m. 1985–present) Maureen Denise McCormick (born August 5, 1956) is an American actress, celebrity and recording artist. She is most widely known as a child actress who played Marcia Brady in the television series The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974.
Contents
Early life and career
McCormick was born in Encino, California, the daughter of Irene (née Beckman) and William McCormick, a teacher.[1] At the age of six she won the Baby Miss San Fernando Valley beauty pageant.[2] McCormick first appeared on national U.S. television in 1964 for Mattel toys on Barbie and Chatty Cathy doll commercials. She lent her voice to a redesigned Chatty Cathy doll in 1970. Through the later 1960s McCormick appeared in two episodes of Bewitched and played guest roles on I Dream of Jeannie, Honey West, The Farmer's Daughter and My Three Sons.
Marcia Brady
Further information: The Brady BunchFurther information: Characters of The Brady BunchMcCormick played the eldest daughter, Marcia, who had five other siblings. She had a perky and popular personality in The Brady Bunch, an American television sitcom about a blended family that aired from late 1969 to early 1974 on ABC, Friday nights at 8pm. After its cancellation Brady Bunch episodes were rebroadcast in syndication for decades as children's programming, gathering a long lasting, cross-generational popularity that led to spinoffs and movies.
Later career
After The Brady Bunch, McCormick made guest appearances on many television series such as Happy Days, Donny & Marie, Love Boat, Vega$, Streets of San Francisco and Fantasy Island, along with supporting roles in a few B-movies such as 1979's A Vacation In Hell, Skatetown, U.S.A. and 1987's Return to Horror High. However, perhaps owing to the ongoing broadcast of Brady Bunch reruns in syndication, she may have become typecast. McCormick later claimed she failed to get a part as a prostitute or heroin dealer for the movie Midnight Express because of this.[3] McCormick was the first actress to play Rebecca Crane on the soap opera Passions but she was not put on contract.
In 2007, McCormick was a cast member on the fifth season of VH1's reality show Celebrity Fit Club, hoping to lose 30 pounds she had gained since her mother died of cancer and needing to move her disabled brother into an assisted living facility. McCormick lost 34 pounds and, in June of that year, was the individual winner of the series. In 2008, she became a spokesperson for Children International.[4] Later that year, she became a cast member on the CMT reality show Gone Country. This led to a spin-off reality series called Outsiders Inn in which she opened a bed and breakfast inn in Newport, Tennessee. On March 15, 2009, McCormick appeared on Comedy Central's roast of Larry the Cable Guy.
She also appeared in an episode of Scrubs as J.D.'s dream wife; however, she is married to him as Marcia Brady.
Personal life
McCormick and fellow Brady Bunch cast member Barry Williams had a sporadic romance during the original series run, with their first romantic kiss happening in the summer of 1972, while filming the Hawaiian episodes.
In her autobiography, McCormick wrote that her grandmother died from syphilis in a mental institution, having gotten the disease from her husband who had caught it in Europe at the time of World War I (and who committed suicide a week after his wife's death). McCormick's mother had contracted syphilis in utero and McCormick dealt with a life-long, but unfounded, fear she would also get the disease.[5] Hence, McCormick later said her favorite scenes in The Brady Bunch were those that called for her to cry, since this allowed her to release feelings she drew from those fears.
Following the cancellation of The Brady Bunch, McCormick went through years of addiction to cocaine and Quaaludes that harmed her career. McCormick later claimed she sometimes traded sex for cocaine. She flubbed an audition with Steven Spielberg for a part in Raiders of the Lost Ark, showing up high on cocaine and sleepless for three days. She lost her reputation for reliability in Hollywood, and one producer threatened that she would never work as an actress again. She had two unwanted pregnancies, both of which ended in abortion. She also dealt with bouts of depression and bulimia.[2][6]
On March 16, 1985 she married Michael Cummings, who had never seen or heard of The Brady Bunch. They fell in love upon meeting in a church.[7] McCormick and Cummings have one child, daughter Natalie Michelle, born May 19, 1989. The family lives in Westlake Village, northwest of Los Angeles.
After her marriage, McCormick went through a series of interventions, stints in rehab and experimental therapies. She says treatment with psychologist Eugene Landy, who had also treated Brian Wilson, set her back. Although she began to get sober after marrying her husband, McCormick still suffered from depression and paranoia. McCormick once threatened to jump from a balcony in front of her husband.[7] She and her husband were at first wary of medication, but McCormick has been treated with antidepressant medication such as Prozac since the 1990s. McCormick also said she was helped by her friendships with former Brady Bunch cast members.[2][3]
In April 2007, on the TV series Dr. Phil, McCormick talked about a family dispute, accusing her brother of both elder abuse and alienating their father from his other children to gain control of his finances.[8]
Autobiography
On October 14, 2008, with wide and sometimes controversial publicity, she released her autobiography Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, which debuted at number four on The New York Times Best Seller List and stayed on the list for three weeks.[9] The book was published by HarperCollins and was acquired by the Director of Creative Development, Lisa Sharkey. While promoting the book she was a guest on many news and talk shows such as Access Hollywood, The Howard Stern Show, Good Day L.A. and Paula's Party. The Today Show reportedly aired an interview with McCormick about the book rather than switch to a story about the 2008 recession.[10] McCormick said a movie would likely be made about her autobiography.[11]
Other TV, film and stage work
- In 1976, she played a teenage prostitute on the TV series The Streets of San Francisco.
- On February 5, 1989, she reprised her role as Marcia Brady in a dream sequence episode of the short-lived sitcom Day by Day. The episode brought together the Brady family in a dream to slacker son Ross who neglects schoolwork to watch a Brady Bunch marathon. McCormick scored big laughs in the satiric segment playing a visibly pregnant Marcia.
- In 1993, she played herself on an episode of Herman's Head.[12]
- In 1994, McCormick played the role of Rizzo in the Broadway production of Grease.
- In 1997, she played the title role in Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story.
- In 2000, she played Rebecca Hotchkiss on Passions for 10 episodes; after her stint ended, she was replaced by Andrea Evans.
- In 2001, she played Mrs. Strawther on Son of the Beach.
- In 2003, she appeared in Scrubs in a dream sequence where protagonist J.D. imagines Marcia Brady as his ideal bride (he shushes her when she points out that her name is actually Maureen McCormick).
- In 2003, she appeared as herself in a "bonus feature" entitled "Child Stars on Your Television" [13] in the DVD release of Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.[14]
- In 2007, she played a shy, clumsy woman who was the eventual object of Jason Alexander's desires in the Brad Paisley country music video, "Online".[15]
- In 2009, she participated in the Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy, which aired on March 14.
Recording career
McCormick recorded four albums with the Brady Bunch cast and toured with them. In 1972, she released her first solo single with the songs "Truckin' Back to You" and "Teeny Weeny Bit (Too Long)." A year later McCormick recorded an album with Brady co-star Christopher Knight. The pop LP, called Chris Knight and Maureen McCormick, carried both duets and solo tracks by the two young television stars. McCormick's second solo single was "Little Bird", backed with "Just a Singin' Alone", had mild chart success in the western US. McCormick performed "Little Bird" on American Bandstand and the show's host Dick Clark encouraged her to follow a singing career. McCormick released another single in 1973, "Love's in the Roses", backed with "Harmonize."
More than twenty years later McCormick released her first solo album, a country CD called When You Get a Little Lonely (1995). Although not a commercial success, it gathered mostly positive reviews. In 1997, she played country singer Barbara Mandrell in the television biography Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story and in 2008 competed for a record contract on the CMT reality show Gone Country.
Biographical portrayals
- Kaley Cuoco portrayed McCormick in Growing Up Brady. McCormick's character Marcia Brady has been portrayed by Christine Taylor in The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel.
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes 1965 The Farmer's Daughter Christine TV Series; Season 2, Episode 25: Why Don't They Ever Pick Me? 1965 Bewitched Young Endora — Girl TV Series; Season 2, Episode 7: Trick or Treat 1965 Honey West Margaret Mary Driscoll TV Series; Season 1, Episode 8: In The Bag 1965–
1966Camp Runamuck Maureen Sullivan TV Series; Two Episodes; Season 1, Episode 1: Who Stole My Bathtub; Season 1, Episode 16: Tomboy 1966 I Dream of Jeannie Susan TV Series; Season 1, Episode 20: My Master, The Doctor 1967 My Three Sons Sylvia Walters TV Series; Season 8, Episode 10: Ernie, The Bluebird 1969 The Arrangement Uncredited Zephyr Commercial 1969–
1974The Brady Bunch Marcia Brady TV Series; 116 Episodes; Series Regular 1971 Cold Turkey Talking Doll Voice 1972 The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie Marcia Brady The Brady Kids on Mysterious Island; Television Movie; Voice 1972–
1973The Brady Kids Marcia Brady TV Series; Voice 1973 Marcus Welby, M.D. Sharon Boyd TV Series; Season 4, Episode 23: The Day After Forever 1975 Happy Days Hildie TV Series; Season 2, Episode 16: Crusin 1975 Harry O Nancy Wayne TV Series; Season 1, Episode 22: Street Games 1975 The Turning Point of Jim Malloy Uncredited Television Movie 1975 Joe Forrester Irene Kellogg TV Series; Season 1, Episode 3: Bus Station 1976 The Streets of San Francisco Cindy Lawson TV Series; Season 5, Episode 5: No Minor Vices 1976 Pony Express Rider Rose of Sharon Theatrical Release 1976 Gibbsville Uncredited TV Series; Season 1, Episode 4: All The Young Girls 1976–
1977The Brady Bunch Hour Marcia Brady TV Series; 9 Episodes; Series Regular 1977 Delvecchio Lynette Youndfellow TV Series; Season 1, Episode 14: One Little Indian 1977 Moonshine County Express Sissy Hammer Theatrical Release 1977 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Karen Phillips TV Series; Season 2, Episode 10: Nancy Drew's Love Match 1977–
1982The Love Boat Barbara Holmes TV Series; 5 Episodes 1978 Vega$ Jenny Logan TV Series; Season 1, Episode 8: The Pageant 1978–
1983Fantasy Island Angela Brennan TV Series; 6 Episodes 1979 Take Down Brooke Cooper Theatrical Release 1979 Insight Jenny TV Series; One Episode: When, Jenny? When? 1979 Lou Grant Tiffany TV Series; Season 2, Episode 16: Sweep 1979 A Vacation in Hell Margret Television Movie 1979 The Runaways Janet TV Series; Season 2, Episode 2: Throwaway Child 1979 Skatetown, U.S.A. Susan Theatrical Release 1980 The Idolmaker Ellen Fields Theatrical Release 1981 The Brady Girls Get Married Marcia Brady TV Special 1981 The Brady Brides Marcia Brady TV Series; 6 Episodes; Series Regular 1981 Texas Lightning Fay Theatrical Release 1983 Shout for Joy Uncredited Co-Stars: Michael Cummings; Robert Pierce 1986 New Love, American Style Uncredited TV Series; Episode: Love and the F.M. Doctor 1987 Return to Horror High Officer Tyler Theatrical Release 1988 A Very Brady Christmas Marcia Brady Logan Television Movie 1989 That's Adequate Space Princess Theatrical Release 1989 Day by Day Marcia Brady TV Series; Season 2, Episode 11: A Very Brady Episode 1990 The Bradys Marcia Brady-Logan 1993 Bradymania: A Very Brady Special Marcia Martin Brady-Logan TV Special 1996 The Single Guy Valerie TV Series; Season 2, Episode 4: Kept Man 1996 Panic in the Skies! Turkey, Walker's Assistant Television Movie 1997 Touched by an Angel Jodi TV Series; Season 3, Episode 19: Clipped Wings 1997 Dogtown Didi Schmidt Theatrical Release 1997 Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story Barbara Mandrell Television Movie 1997 ABC TGIF Judy Beauchamp TV Series; Episode: Halloween Frightful Bash 1997–
1998Teen Angel Judy Beauchamp TV Series; 11 Episodes; Series Regular 1997–
2003Johnny Bravo Franny
Amberly
Pizza GirlTV Series; Voice; 3 Episodes 1999 Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure Nick's Mom Direct-to-Video 1999 Moesha Saleslady TV Series; Season 5, Episode 8: Isn't She Lovely? 2000 The Million Dollar Kid Betsy Hunter Theatrical Release 2000 Passions Rebecca Hotchkiss (#1) TV Series; Season Regular 2000–
2002Son of the Beach Mrs. Strawther TV Series; 3 Episodes 2001 The A-List Uncredited Short Film 2001 Title to Murder Leah Farrell Theatrical Release 2001 Shock Video 2002: America Undercover Narrator Television Special 2002 The Ellen Show Rita Carter TV Series; Season 1, Episode 14: Shallow Gal 2002 Jane White Is Sick & Twisted Nancy Theatrical Release 2003 The Brothers Garcia Mrs. Bauer TV Series; Season 4, Episode 11: Moving on Up 2004 The Guardian Receptionist TV Series; Season 3, Episode 12: Beautiful Blue Mystic 2008 Stone & Ed Dream Mother Theatrical Release 2008 Outsider's Inn The Innkeeper TV Series; Series Regular; 7 Episodes Awards and nominations
Year Presenter Award Result 2005–
2006TV Land Awards Choice Dream Sequence Nominated 2005 TV Land Awards Choice Singing Siblings (shared with the kids of The Brady Bunch) Nominated 2006 TV Land Awards Most Beautiful Braces Nominated 2007 TV Land Award Pop Culture Award Won References
- ^ "Maureen McCormick Biography (1956–)". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/40/Maureen-McCormick.html. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ a b c "And the Truth Will Set You Free: Maureen McCormick Steve Duin for The Oregonian October 17, 2008". Blog.oregonlive.com. http://blog.oregonlive.com/steveduin/2008/10/ill_read_it_so_you_dont_have_t.html. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ a b "A Very Brady Confession Maureen McCormick for Newsweek Magazine November 10, 2008 issue". Newsweek.com. 2008-11-10. http://www.newsweek.com/id/166820. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ https://www.children.org/AChildJustForYou-3MonthsFreeTV.asp?
- ^ okmagazine.com, McCormick Talks Cocaine, Abortions & Syphilis, 16 October 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ Brady Bunch star 'traded drugs for sex' The Times October 14, 2008[dead link]
- ^ a b Font size Print E-mail Share 4 Comments (2008-11-21). "Marcia Brady" On Her Drug Use, Paranoia CBS Early Show November 21, 2008". Cbsnews.com. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/21/earlyshow/leisure/celebspot/main4624122.shtml. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ "The True Life of Marcia Brady". Drphil.com. http://drphil.com/shows/show/905/. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ "New Thriller "The Brass Verdict" By Michael Connelly Tops New York Times Best Seller List AHN October 27, 2008". Allheadlinenews.com. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7012803304. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ Thursday, October 16, 2008 (2008-10-16). "The Thursday wrap Pittsburgh Tribune Review October 16, 2008". Pittsburghlive.com. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/archive/s_593507.html. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ "‘Brady Bunch’ Star’s Memoirs May Be Made Into A Movie Access Hollywood October 25, 2008". Accesshollywood.com. 2008-10-25. http://www.accesshollywood.com/brady-bunch-stars-memoirs-may-be-made-into-a-movie_article_11871. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ Herman's Head (TV series), episode "When Hermy Met Maureen McCormick" (first aired 18 November 1993) at Internet Movie Database
- ^ “” (1991-08-14). "Child Stars On Your Television (Some Bad Language)". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYzR0beTVx4in. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
- ^ [1] at Internet Movie Database
- ^ "Broadcast Yourself". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE6iAjEv9dQ}. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
External links
- The Official Maureen McCormick Web site/Fan Club
- Maureen McCormick at the Internet Movie Database
- McCormick, Maureen. Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. William Morrow, October 14, 2008. ISBN 978-0061490149
- Book review of Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice
Categories:- American child actors
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- American people of Irish descent
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- Celebrity Fit Club participants
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- 1956 births
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