Maureen McCormick

Maureen Denise McCormick (born August 5, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and author. She portrayed Marcia Brady on the ABC television sitcom The Brady Bunch, which ran from 1969 to 1974 and reprised the role in several of the numerous Brady Bunch spin-offs and films, including The Brady Kids, The Brady Bunch Hour, The Brady Brides and A Very Brady Christmas (1988). McCormick also appeared in The Idolmaker (1980) as well as a wide range of other supporting film roles. In the 1980s and 1990s, she ventured into stage acting, appearing in a variety of different roles and productions such as Wendy Darling in Peter Pan and Betty Rizzo in Grease. McCormick also had a brief career as a recording artist, releasing four studio albums with the Brady Bunch cast as well as touring with them. Her only release as a solo artist to date is a country music album, When You Get a Little Lonely (1995).

This article is about the American actress. For the American diplomat, see Maureen Cormack.

Maureen McCormick
McCormick in 2009
Born	Maureen Denise McCormick (1956-08-05) August 5, 1956 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress singer author
Years active	1964–present
Known for	Marcia Brady in The Brady Bunch
Spouse(s)	Michael Cummings ( m. 1985)
Children	1

Despite professional success on The Brady Bunch and its spin-offs, McCormick struggled largely in her personal life in the years following the original series' end. Addictions to cocaine and quaaludes, as well as bouts of depression and bulimia, all contributed to McCormick losing her reputation for reliability as an actress. Since the 2000s, she has appeared on several reality television series such as VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, CMT's Gone Country (which led to a short-lived spin-off series led by McCormick, Outsiders Inn) and the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, as well as guest spots on a wide range of television series. In 2008, McCormick published an autobiography, Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, which debuted at number four on The New York Times bestseller list and garnered significant publicity and mild controversy.

Life and career

1956–1968: Early life and television roles

McCormick was born in the Encino section of Los Angeles, California, to Irene (née Beckman) and Richard McCormick, a teacher.[1] She has three older brothers: Michael, Dennis, and Kevin. McCormick's grandmother died from syphilis in a mental institution, infected by her husband, who caught it in Europe during World War I (and who committed suicide a week after his wife's death). McCormick's mother contracted syphilis in utero, and McCormick dealt with a lifelong but unfounded fear that she would also get the disease.[2] She is of Irish and German descent, and was raised in a Catholic family.[3]

At age six, she won the Baby Miss San Fernando Valley beauty pageant.[4] In 1964, she first appeared on national U.S. television, in Mattel commercials for Barbie and Chatty Cathy dolls. Through the later 1960s McCormick appeared in two episodes of Bewitched--both times playing Endora transformed into a little girl. She also played guest roles on I Dream of Jeannie, Honey West, The Farmer's Daughter, and My Three Sons. In 1970, she lent her voice to a redesigned Chatty Cathy doll.[5] McCormick attended Taft High School in Woodland Hills.

1969–1974: The Brady Bunch

Further information: The Brady Bunch

McCormick's most famous role was as eldest daughter Marcia Brady on the classic 1970s sitcom The Brady Bunch.

McCormick played the eldest daughter, Marcia, who had five 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, on Friday nights. After its cancellation, the series was later rebroadcast in syndication for decades, as children's programming, gathering long-lasting, cross-generational popularity that led to spinoffs and movies. McCormick had a sporadic romance with her Brady Bunch co-star Barry Williams during the original series' run.

McCormick recorded four albums with the Brady Bunch cast and toured with them as well. In 1972, she released her first solo single with the songs "Truckin' Back to You" and "Teeny Weeny Bit (Too Long)". The following year, McCormick recorded an album with her Brady Bunch co-star Christopher Knight, a pop extended play titled Chris Knight and Maureen McCormick, which carried both duets and solo tracks. McCormick's second solo single "Little Bird", backed with "Just a Singin' Alone", had mild chart success in the western United States (reaching Top 5 at KCPX in Salt Lake City). McCormick later performed "Little Bird" on American Bandstand, where host Dick Clark encouraged her to follow a singing career. McCormick released another single in 1973, "Love's in the Roses", backed with "Harmonize".

In 2015, archive footage of McCormick as Marcia was used for an American TV commercial advertising Snickers chocolate bars. The commercial, which debuted during Super Bowl XLIX, features action film star Danny Trejo as young Marcia who (in the context of being hungry) isn't acting like herself. After eating a Snickers, Marcia appears as McCormick once again.[6][7]

1975–2006: Other roles and personal struggles

Following the cancellation of The Brady Bunch, McCormick spent years addicted to cocaine and quaaludes, which impeded her career. McCormick later stated that she sometimes traded sex for drugs during her early twenties. She flubbed an audition with Steven Spielberg for a part in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), arriving for the audition under the influence of cocaine and having not slept for three days. She lost her reputation for reliability as an actress in Hollywood, and one producer threatened that she would never work as an actress again. She also dealt with bouts of depression and bulimia.[4][8]

Despite her struggles with addiction and depression, McCormick did appear in guest roles on numerous television series throughout the 1970s and 1980s, such as Happy Days, Donny & Marie, Love Boat, Vega$, Streets of San Francisco, and Fantasy Island, along with supporting roles in The Idolmaker and B movies such as A Vacation in Hell (1979) and Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979). McCormick later claimed she failed to get a role as a prostitute or heroin dealer for the movie Midnight Express because she continued to be identified with her Brady Bunch role.[9] She reprised her role as Marcia Brady on the short-lived series The Brady Brides in 1981, which was spun off from the movie The Brady Girls Get Married (1981). McCormick portrayed Wendy Darling in a touring stage production of Peter Pan, beginning in 1983.[10]

McCormick married Michael Cummings on March 16, 1985.[11] Shortly after getting married, McCormick went through a series of interventions, stints in rehab, and experimental therapies. She says that treatment with psychologist Eugene Landy set her back. She began to get sober after marrying, but she still suffered from depression and paranoia, and once threatened to jump from a balcony in front of her husband.[11] She and her husband were at first wary of medication, but McCormick was treated with antidepressant medication such as Prozac beginning in the 1990s. McCormick also said that she was helped by her friendships with former Brady Bunch cast members.[4][9]

She continued to appear sporadically in films and television projects, having a minor role as a police officer in Return to Horror High (1987), and again reprising her Marcia Brady role for the television film A Very Brady Christmas (1988). McCormick gave birth to her daughter, Natalie Michelle, on May 19, 1989. When The Bradys, a revival of The Brady Bunch, was scheduled to begin production in 1990, McCormick was unavailable to return as Marcia due to her infant daughter, so Leah Ayres filled the role instead. In 1993, the television sitcom Herman's Head episode "When Hermy Met Maureen McCormick" heavily featured her, playing herself. In 1994, McCormick made her Broadway debut as Betty Rizzo in a production of Grease.[12]

McCormick released her debut studio album, When You Get a Little Lonely, on April 4, 1995, as an audio CD and cassette.[13][14] The album was later made available as a digital download.[15] The album was released under Phantom Hill Records, a record label owned by her brother.[16][17] McCormick promoted it with live performances in Palmdale, California,[18] and CD signings.[19][20] When You Get a Little Lonely received negative reviews from music critics,[21][22][23] though McCormick's vocals did receive some praise.[21][24] In a retrospective interview with Entertainment Weekly, McCormick said that she was disappointed by the recording process for the album, and would have preferred to write at least one of her own songs.[25]

In 1997, she portrayed country singer Barbara Mandrell in the television biopic Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story. In 2000, McCormick was the first actress to play Rebecca Crane on the soap opera Passions, but she was not put on contract. In 2003, McCormick appeared as herself on an episode of the sitcom Scrubs with references being made to her Marcia Brady character.

2007–present: Reality series and other work

McCormick in 2009

In April 2007, McCormick appeared on Dr. Phil to discuss a family dispute, accusing her brother of both elder abuse and alienating their father from his other children to gain control of his finances.[26] The same year, McCormick joined the cast of the fifth season of VH1's reality show Celebrity Fit Club, hoping to lose 30 pounds (14 kg) 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 (15 kg) and, in June of that year, was the individual winner of the series.

McCormick released her autobiography, Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, on October 14, 2008, with wide and sometimes controversial publicity. It debuted at number four on The New York Times bestseller list, where it stayed for three weeks.[27] The book was published by HarperCollins and was acquired by Director of Creative Development Lisa Sharkey. While promoting the book, McCormick 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.[28] McCormick said that a film would likely be made about her autobiography.[29]

Also in 2008, she joined the cast of the CMT reality show Gone Country, where she competed for a recording contract. This led to a spin-off reality series called Outsiders Inn, in which she opened a bed and breakfast in Newport, Tennessee. In 2008, McCormick became a spokesperson for Children International.[30] In March 2009, McCormick appeared on Comedy Central's roast of Larry the Cable Guy.

In 2015, McCormick appeared in the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, where she lasted 42 days and was the last evictee before the finale.[31]

On August 30, 2016, McCormick was revealed as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev.[32] McCormick and Chigvintsev were eliminated on the seventh week of competition and finished in 8th place.[33]

Biographical portrayals

Kaley Cuoco portrayed Maureen McCormick in Growing Up Brady (2000). McCormick's character Marcia Brady has been portrayed by Christine Taylor in The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) and its sequel A Very Brady Sequel and by Autumn Reeser in the made for TV sequel The Brady Bunch in the White House.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1973	Young Marriage	Beth	Short
1976	Pony Express Rider	Rose of Sharon
1977	Moonshine County Express	Sissy Hammer
1979	Take Down	Brooke Cooper
1979	Skatetown, U.S.A.	Susan Nelson
1980	The Idolmaker	Ellen Fields
1981	Texas Lightning	Fay
1983	Shout for Joy	Alma Irons
1987	Return to Horror High	Officer Tyler
1996	A Very Brady Sequel	Kitty (voice)
1997	Dogtown	Didi Schmidt
1999	Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure	Nick's Mom	Direct-to-video
2000	The Million Dollar Kid	Betsy Hunter
2001	Title to Murder	Leah Farrell
2002	Jane White Is Sick & Twisted	Nancy
2003	Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star	Maureen McCormick
2012	Snow White: A Deadly Summer	Eve
2015	Lift Me Up	Grace
2015	Big Baby	Molly
2016	Accidentally Engaged	Jeannette
2017	The Neighborhood	Rachelle
2017	Aileron	Helen	Short
2017	Rock Paper Dead	Nurse Ruland

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1964–65	Bewitched	Young Endora	"And Something Makes Three", "Trick or Treat"
1965	The Farmer's Daughter	Christine	"Why Don't They Ever Pick Me?"
1965	Honey West	Margaret Mary Driscoll	"In the Bag"
1965–66	Camp Runamuck	Maureen Sullivan	"Who Stole My Bathtub?", "Tomboy"
1966	I Dream of Jeannie	Susan	"My Master, the Doctor"
1967	My Three Sons	Sylvia Walters	"Ernie, the Bluebeard"
1969–1974	The Brady Bunch	Marcia Brady	Main role
1972	The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie	Marcia Brady (voice)	"The Brady Kids on Mysterious Island"
1972	The Brady Kids	Marcia Brady (voice)	Main role (season 1)
1973	Marcus Welby, M.D.	Sharon Boyd	"The Day After Forever"
1975	Happy Days	Hildie	"Cruisin'"
1975	Harry O	Nancy Wayne	"Street Games"
1975	Joe Forrester	Irene Kellogg	"Bus Station"
1976	The Streets of San Francisco	Cindy Lawson	"No Minor Vices"
1976	Gibbsville	Alice Chapman	"All the Young Girls"
1976–77	The Brady Bunch Hour	Marcia Brady	Main role
1977	Delvecchio	Lynette Youndfellow	"One Little Indian"
1977	The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries	Karen Phillips	"Nancy Drew's Love Match"
1977–1982	The Love Boat	Various roles	5 episodes
1978	Vega$	Jenny Logan	"The Pageant"
1978–1983	Fantasy Island	Various roles	6 episodes
1979	Insight	Jenny	"When, Jenny? When?"
1979	Lou Grant	Tiffany	"Sweep"
1979	A Vacation in Hell	Margret	TV film
1979	The Runaways	Janet	"Throwaway Child"
1981	The Brady Brides	Marcia Brady Logan	Main role
1988	A Very Brady Christmas	Marcia Brady Logan	TV film
1989	Day by Day	Marcia Brady	"A Very Brady Episode"
1993	Bradymania: A Very Brady Special	Maureen McCormick	TV film
1993	Herman's Head	Maureen McCormick	"When Hermy Met Maureen McCormick"
1996	The Single Guy	Valerie	"Kept Man"
1997	Touched by an Angel	Jodi	"Clipped Wings"
1997	Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story'	Barbara Mandrell	TV film
1997	Teen Angel	Judy Beauchamp	Regular role
1997–2003	Johnny Bravo	Various roles (voice)	3 episodes
2000	Passions	Rebecca Hotchkiss	Regular role
2000–2002	Son of the Beach	Mrs. Strawther	"South of Her Border", "The Sexorcist", "Godfather Knows Best"
2001	It's Like, You Know...	Maureen McCormick	"Lust for Life"
2002	The Ellen Show	Rita Carter	"Shallow Gal"
2003	The Brothers García	Mrs. Bauer	"Moving on Up"
2003	Scrubs	Maureen McCormick	"My Journey"
2004	The Brady Bunch 35th Anniversary Reunion Special	Maureen McCormick	TV film
2011	Christmas Spirit	Sarah	TV film
2014	Naughty & Nice	Kate	TV film
2015	Christmas Land	Glinda Stanwick	TV film
2016	Nightmare Next Door	Marian Justi	"Orange Grove Cruelty"
2017	The Loud House	Jancey (voice)	"Future Tense"
2017	The Guest Book	Maureen McCormick	"Story Nine"
2019	A Very Brady Renovation	Maureen McCormick	TV series.

Stage credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1983	Peter Pan	Wendy Darling	Touring national production	[10]
1994	Grease	Betty Rizzo	Eugene O'Neill Theatre	[12]

Awards and nominations

Year	Presenter	Award	Result
2005– 2006	TV 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

1. "Maureen McCormick Biography (1956–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
2. okmagazine.com, McCormick Talks Cocaine, Abortions & Syphilis Archived September 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, October 16, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
3. @MoMcCormick7 (February 22, 2019). "LOL! I'm one of four kids in an Irish Catholic family. LOVE this show soooo much too! Brilliant!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 6, 2019 – via Twitter.
4. "And the Truth Will Set You Free: Maureen McCormick Steve Duin for The Oregonian October 17, 2008". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
5. "Chatty Cathy -- Little Known Facts".
6. AdWatch: Snickers Super Bowl Ad Brings Out Different Side of Marcia Brady. Retrieved June 10, 2015
7. The Snickers ‘Brady Bunch’-themed Super Bowl 2015 commercial starring Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi. Retrieved June 10, 2015
8. Leach, Ben. "Brady Bunch star Maureen McCormick traded sex for drugs".
9. "A Very Brady Confession Maureen McCormick for Newsweek Magazine November 10, 2008 issue". Newsweek. November 10, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
10. Jacobs, Tom (November 13, 1983). "Peter Pan: a high-spirited production". The San Bernardino Sun. San Bernardino, California. p. 43 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Marcia Brady" On Her Drug Use, Paranoia CBS Early Show November 21, 2008". CBS News. November 21, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
12. "Maureen McCormick". Playbill. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
13. When you get a little lonely. WorldCat. OCLC 32606771.
14. "Releases". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018.
15. "When You Get a Little Lonely". Apple Music. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018.
16. McKechnie, Gary (May 28, 1995). "Having A Bunch Of Fun With Marcia Brady". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015.
17. "Factsheet". AllMovie. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018.
18. Thacker, Karen (January 8, 1996). "Palmdale Playhouse Opens '96 with Varied Fare". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.(subscription required)
19. "Hot Tips Y'All Should Hear That Brady Gal Sing". Los Angeles Daily News. April 24, 1995. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.(subscription required)
20. "Who: Maureen McCormick, also known as Marsha Brady from..." Orlando Sentinel. May 17, 1995. Archived from the original on October 16, 2015.
21. Roach, Pemberton. "AllMusic Review by Pemberton Roach". AllMusic. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
22. Nash, Alanna (April 21, 1995). "When You Get a Little Lonely". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015.
23. Bubbeo, Daniel (December 17, 2010). "Tube stars who laid down tracks". Newsday. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018.
24. "Picks and Pans Review: When You Get a Little Lonely". People. May 8, 1995. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018.
25. Bierly, Mandi (March 3, 2008). "A chat with Maureen McCormick". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017.
26. "The True Life of Marcia Brady". Drphil.com. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
27. "New Thriller 'The Brass Verdict' By Michael Connelly Tops New York Times Best Seller List". Allheadlinenews.com. October 27, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
28. "The Thursday wrap". Pittsburgh Tribune Review. October 16, 2008. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
29. "'Brady Bunch' Star's Memoirs May Be Made into A Movie". Access Hollywood. October 25, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
30. "Actress works with poor children in Africa on “Access Hollywood”".
31. Munro, Peter (February 1, 2015). "'I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here' begins in South African jungle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
32. "'DWTS' 2016 Celebrity Cast Revealed: Ryan Lochte, Amber Rose, Rick Perry Among Star Lineup". Good Morning America: Yahoo. August 30, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
33. Kubicek, John (October 24, 2016). "'Dancing with the Stars' Recap: 'Dancing with the Stars' Recap: Past vs. Future with the Team Dances". BuddyTV. Retrieved October 24, 2016.

Further reading

• McCormick, Maureen (October 14, 2008). Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-149014-9.

External links

• The Official Maureen McCormick website
• Maureen McCormick on IMDb