Maureen McCormick
| Maureen McCormick | |
|---|---|
 McCormick in 2009 | |
| Born |
Maureen Denise McCormick August 5, 1956 Encino, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Michael Cummings (m. 1985–present) |
| Children | Natalie Cummings (b. 1989) |
Maureen Denise McCormick (born August 5, 1956) is an American actress, author, and recording artist. She is most widely known for portraying the eldest Brady daughter Marcia Brady on the ABC television series The Brady Bunch, from 1969 to 1974.
Early life and career
McCormick was born in Encino, California, to Irene (née Beckman) and William McCormick, a teacher.[1] She has three older brothers: Michael, Dennis, and Kevin. According to her biography, McCormick attended Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California.
At age six, she won the Baby Miss San Fernando Valley beauty pageant.[2] 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 and 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.
Marcia Brady
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 a long-lasting, cross-generational popularity that led to spinoffs and movies. The Brady Brides aired briefly in 1981 as a miniseries that was spun off from the movie The Brady Girls Get Married (1981), placing McCormick in a shared lead role alongside Eve Plumb. However, when The Bradys aired in 1990 as a revival of the original series, McCormick had just given birth to a child and was unavailable to return as Marcia, so Leah Ayres filled the role instead.
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.[3][4]
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 The Idolmaker and B-movies such as 1979's A Vacation In Hell, Skatetown, U.S.A., and 1987's Return to Horror High. McCormick later claimed she failed to get a part as a prostitute or heroin dealer for the movie Midnight Express because she continued to be identified with her Brady Bunch role.[5] McCormick was the first actress to play Rebecca Crane on the soap opera Passions, but she was not put on contract. McCormick also performed in musical stage productions during the mid 1980s, playing such characters as Wendy Darling in Peter Pan.[6]
In 2007, McCormick joined the cast of 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.[7] Later that year, she joined the cast of 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 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 the show Scrubs as J.D.'s dream wife; however, she is married to him as Marcia Brady.
In 2015, McCormick appeared in the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here![8] She lasted 42 days on the program being the last evictee before the finale.
Personal life
McCormick and fellow Brady Bunch cast member Barry Williams had a sporadic romance during the original series run. They shared their first romantic kiss 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, 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.[9] Hence, McCormick later said that her favorite scenes in The Brady Bunch were those that called for her to cry, since this allowed her to release feelings which she drew from those fears.
Following the cancellation of The Brady Bunch, McCormick spent years addicted to cocaine and quaaludes, which harmed her career. McCormick later claimed that she sometimes traded sex for drugs. She also had two abortions during her early twenties. She flubbed an audition with Steven Spielberg for a part in Raiders of the Lost Ark, showing up high on cocaine and having not slept 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 also dealt with bouts of depression and bulimia.[2][10]
On March 16, 1985, McCormick married Michael Cummings, who had heard of The Brady Bunch but had never seen it. They fell in love upon meeting in a church.[11] McCormick and Cummings have one child, daughter Natalie Michelle, born May 19, 1989. The family lives in Westlake Village, northwest of Los Angeles.
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. (Landy had also treated Brian Wilson.) She began to get sober after marrying, but she still suffered from depression and paranoia. She 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 has been treated with antidepressant medication such as Prozac since the 1990s. McCormick also said that she was helped by her friendships with former Brady Bunch cast members.[2][5]
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.[12]
Autobiography
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 Best Seller List and stayed on the list for three weeks.[13] 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.[14] McCormick said that a movie would likely be made about her autobiography.[15]
Other TV, film, and stage work
- In 1964, she played Little Endora during a dream sequence on Bewitched (season 1, episode 12; "...and Something Makes Three")
- In 1967, she played Sylvia on My Three Sons (season 8, episode 10; "Ernie The Bluebeard")
- On February 11, 1975, she played Hildie on Happy Days (season 2, episode 16; "Cruzin' ")
- In 1976, she played a teenage prostitute on the TV series The Streets of San Francisco.
- In 1976, she played Alice Chapman on the TV series Gibbsville in the episode "All the Young Girls"
- In 1977, she played a kleptomaniac tennis star on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.
- 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.[16]
- 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" [17] in the DVD release of Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.[18]
- 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".[19]
- 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 "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 20 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 garnered 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 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.
TV and filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Farmer's Daughter, TheThe 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– 1966 |
Camp 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 Bluebeard" |
| 1969 | Arrangement, TheThe Arrangement | Uncredited | Zephyr Commercial |
| 1969– 1974 |
Brady Bunch, TheThe Brady Bunch | Marcia Brady | TV series; 116 episodes; series regular |
| 1971 | Cold Turkey | Talking Doll | Voice |
| 1972 | ABC Saturday Superstar Movie, TheThe ABC Saturday Superstar Movie | Marcia Brady | The Brady Kids on Mysterious Island; television movie; voice |
| 1972– 1973 |
Brady Kids, TheThe 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: "Cruisin'" |
| 1975 | Harry O | Nancy Wayne | TV series; season 1, episode 22: "Street Games" |
| 1975 | Turning Point of Jim Malloy, TheThe Turning Point of Jim Malloy | Uncredited | Television movie |
| 1975 | Joe Forrester | Irene Kellogg | TV series; season 1, episode 3: "Bus Station" |
| 1976 | Streets of San Francisco, TheThe 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– 1977 |
Brady Bunch Hour, TheThe 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 | Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, TheThe Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Karen Phillips | TV series; season 2, episode 10: "Nancy Drew's Love Match" |
| 1977– 1982 |
Love Boat, TheThe Love Boat | Barbara Holmes | TV series; 5 episodes |
| 1978 | Vega$ | Jenny Logan | TV series; season 1, episode 8: "The Pageant" |
| 1978– 1983 |
Fantasy 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 | Vacation in Hell, AA Vacation in Hell | Margret | Television movie |
| 1979 | Runaways, TheThe Runaways | Janet | TV series; season 2, episode 2: "Throwaway Child" |
| 1979 | Skatetown, U.S.A. | Susan | Theatrical release |
| 1980 | Idolmaker, TheThe Idolmaker | Ellen Fields | Theatrical release |
| 1981 | Brady Girls Get Married, TheThe Brady Girls Get Married | Marcia Brady | TV special |
| 1981 | Brady Brides, TheThe Brady Brides | Marcia Brady-Logan | 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 | Very Brady Christmas, AA 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" |
| 1993 | Bradymania: A Very Brady Special | Marcia Martin Brady-Logan | TV special |
| 1996 | Single Guy, TheThe 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– 1998 |
Teen Angel | Judy Beauchamp | TV series; 11 episodes; series regular |
| 1997– 2003 |
Johnny Bravo | Franny Amberly Pizza Girl |
TV 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 | Million Dollar Kid, TheThe Million Dollar Kid | Betsy Hunter | Theatrical release |
| 2000 | Passions | Rebecca Hotchkiss (#1) | TV series; season regular |
| 2000– 2002 |
Son of the Beach | Mrs. Strawther | TV series; 3 episodes |
| 2001 | A-List, TheThe A-List | Uncredited | Short film |
| 2001 | Title to Murder | Leah Farrell | Theatrical release |
| 2001 | Shock Video 2002: America Undercover | Narrator | Television special |
| 2002 | Ellen Show, TheThe Ellen Show | Rita Carter | TV series; season 1, episode 14: "Shallow Gal" |
| 2002 | Jane White Is Sick & Twisted | Nancy | Theatrical release |
| 2003 | Brothers Garcia, TheThe Brothers Garcia | Mrs. Bauer | TV series; season 4, episode 11: "Moving on Up" |
| 2003 | Scrubs, Scrubs | Maureen McCormick | TV series; season 3, episode 2: "My Journey" |
| 2004 | Guardian, TheThe 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 |
| 2011 | Prayer Hour | Stage Mom | TV movie |
| 2011 | Christmas Spirit | Sarah | TV movie |
| 2012 | Snow White: A Deadly Summer | Eve | Direct-to-video |
| 2014 | Video Game High School | Mrs. Barnstormer | Web-series |
| 2015 | I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! – Australia | Contestant | TV reality show |
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
- ↑ "Maureen McCormick Biography (1956–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- 1 2 3 "And the Truth Will Set You Free: Maureen McCormick Steve Duin for The Oregonian October 17, 2008". Blog.oregonlive.com. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ↑ AdWatch: Snickers Super Bowl Ad Brings Out Different Side of Marcia Brady, accessed June 10, 2015
- ↑ The Snickers ‘Brady Bunch’-themed Super Bowl 2015 commercial starring Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi, accessed June 10, 2015
- 1 2 "A Very Brady Confession Maureen McCormick for Newsweek Magazine November 10, 2008 issue". Newsweek.com. 2008-11-10. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ↑ "Brady World Peter Pan". Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ↑ https://www.children.org/AChildJustForYou-3MonthsFreeTV.asp?
- ↑ Munro, Peter (1 February 2015). "'I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here' begins in South African jungle". smh.com.au. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ↑ 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
- 1 2 "Marcia Brady" On Her Drug Use, Paranoia CBS Early Show November 21, 2008". Cbsnews.com. 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ↑ "The True Life of Marcia Brady". Drphil.com. 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. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ↑ Thursday, October 16, 2008 (2008-10-16). "The Thursday wrap Pittsburgh Tribune Review October 16, 2008". Pittsburghlive.com. 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. 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. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
- ↑ at Internet Movie Database
- ↑ "Broadcast Yourself". YouTube. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
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
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