‘Brady Bunch’: Why Barry Williams Never Showed His Kids the Iconic Series
What To Know
- Barry Williams, who played Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch, revealed he never showed his children the iconic series.
- Williams felt it was better not to impose his TV legacy on his kids.
- He noted that being the child of a recognizable TV star can be challenging.
The Brady Bunch star Barry Williams — who played the oldest son, Greg Brady, in the iconic ’70s sitcom — recently explained why he never showed his kids the beloved series.
On a November 11 episode of The Brady Bros podcast, Williams, 71, opened up about his surprising decision. The former child actor hosts the podcast with his Brady Bunch costar, Christopher Knight, 68, who played his younger brother, Peter.
“I have two kids. One is just turning 20 and the other is just turning 11 – Brandon, my eldest, and Samantha, my youngest,” Williams shared before confessing, “I have never watched a Brady Bunch episode with either one of them. I never introduced them to the series.”
He added, “And this is cavalier on my part. I just didn’t feel that I wanted to throw that element into the mix until they kind of discovered it for themselves. I know that neither one has seen all of the episodes.”
Williams explained that it was “fun” for his kids “to discover the show” on their own and with their babysitters.
“I would have, you know, their nannies come over and they say, ‘Have you ever seen your dad on TV?’ And then I’d come home and find that,” he explained. “So I didn’t make a rule about it either, you know, if they wanted to watch it. And I thought that was kind of a nice introduction. It’s not easy for kids to grow up with someone who’s recognizable or been on TV a lot.”
Williams said that other kids often “make kind of assumptions” about who the children of celebrities are and “their attitude.”
He detailed, “Brandon, for instance, was accused of thinking he was special or arrogant and kind of had to put up some hazing. Fortunately, he’s pretty well adjusted, so he could just knock it off and he’d kind of make fun of them right back.”
The Brady Bunch aired for five seasons from 1969 to 1974. In addition to Williams and Knight, the show starred Mike Lookinland as their brother, Bobby; Maureen McCormick as Marcia; Eve Plumb as Jan; Susan Olsen as Cindy; Robert Reed as Mike; Florence Henderson as Carol; and Ann B. Davis as Alice.