‘Brady Bunch’ Star Barry Williams Admits to Being TV Sister’s First Real Kiss

Lauren Novak April 9, 12:14 pm

THE BRADY BUNCH, Barry Williams, Susan Olsen, Eve Plumb, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, 1969-74 — Everett Collection

During an episode of The Brady Bunch rewatch podcast The Real Brady Bros featuring Barry Williams (Greg Brady) and Christopher Knight (Peter Brady), Williams was open about his “on-again, off-again” romance with former costar Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady).

The pair chatted during a rewatch of the episode “The Subject Was Noses,” which originally aired on Feb. 9, 1973. In the episode, Peter throws a football at Marcia’s face and breaks her nose, prompting her to cancel a date. Williams said that while Knight was the one who threw that football, he is often blamed by fans who misremember the episode.

“I don’t know if you knew this, but I am blamed by the general public at large, sometimes accosted three or four times a day for throwing the football that smacked Marcia in the nose,” said Williams.

Knight responded, “They’re confused. I take great pride in having thrown the football!”

Christopher Knight and Barry Williams of A Very Brady Renovation speak during the Discovery segment of the Summer 2019 Television Critics Association Press Tour 2019 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 25, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

They also spoke about McCormick and Williams getting pretty cozy off the set during the filming of that particular episode. Knight said in the episode that “it did look like she was dating somebody very close to her on the set, judging from the relationship that I was witnessing between the two of you during this show.”

He continued, “You two were looking a little bit close, a little bit less like brother and sister and more like …” To which Williams joked, “You mean dreamy eyed?” Knight guessed that the pair was having a good week hanging out together.

THE BRADY BUNCH, Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, 'Private Ear', (Season 3, aired November 12, 1971), 1969-74

Everett Collection

“It was sort of like on-again, off-again with Maureen and I throughout the years,” Williams confirmed. “There was always a little dance being played that was broken up by hiatus.” Williams admitted that it was often hard to keep his feelings a secret and he would long for them to sit next to each other during scenes. While he would try to stay out of the way when McCormick had a romantic scene with another actor, he said that he still made it a point to be on the set that day to watch.

McCormick also spoke about their dating life in her book titled Here’s the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. She opened up about their first kiss and how she felt conflicted due to them playing siblings on television.

She wrote, “We couldn’t hold back any longer. It was our first kiss, and it was long, passionate and deep. It was wonderful, too, though as we continued to kiss and press against each other so closely that we could feel each other’s body heat, a part of me — a tiny part, admittedly — said to myself, `Oh my God! I’m kissing my brother. What am I doing?'”