Maureen McCormick Biography
Summary
"Maureen Denise McCormick" (born August 5, 1956) is an American actress, reality show participant and recording artist. She is best known as a child actor who played Marcia Brady in the 1970s television series "The Brady Bunch" from 1969 to 1974.
Biography
Early life and career
McCormick was born in Encino, California, on August 5, 1956, the daughter of Irene (née Beckman) and William McCormick, a teacher. She attended Charles Evans Hughes Junior High and Taft High School. McCormick made her television debut in 1964 in Barbie doll and Chatty Cathy commercials. She 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" before landing the role of Marcia Brady. McCormick played the Brady character during the show's run from 1969 to 1974, and in later "Brady Bunch" movies and spin-off series. She also lent her voice to the redesigned Chatty Cathy doll that was introduced in 1970.
Later career
McCormick attempted to further her career after the demise of "The Brady Bunch". Although she made guest appearances in numerous television series, and played supporting roles in a few B-movies (including 1979's "Vacation in Hell" and 1987's "Return to Horror High"), she was never able to repeat her earlier success. In 1994, McCormick played the role of Rizzo in the Broadway production of "Grease". The following year she released a country and western album, "When You Get a Little Lonely". Though not a great commercial success, it earned her generally positive reviews. In 2000, she played Rebecca Hotchkiss on "Passions" for ten episodes; after her stint ended, she was replaced by Andrea Evans.
McCormick's other TV appearances include an episode of "Happy Days" ('Cruisin') as well as an appearance as Amanda Bynes' mother in the "Moody's Point" skits on "The Amanda Show". She also had a cameo appearance on "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star". Her line on the Former Child Star was 'But if one more person calls me Marcia, I'll bust his fucking head'.
In 1989, she reprised her role as Marcia Brady in a dream sequence episode of the short-lived sitcom "Day By Day" (... more) . The Feb 5, 1989 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 episode playing a visibly pregnant Marcia.
In 1993, she played herself on an episode of "Herman's Head". (... more)
In 1997, Maureen played the title role in "Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story". As of June 30, 2007, it is rated at 5.0 out of 10 stars on IMDB and continues to be shown on Lifetime and WE.
In 2003, she appeared in "Scrubs" in a dream sequence where JD imagines Marcia Brady as his ideal bride (he shushes her when she points out that her name is actually Maureen McCormick).
McCormick returned to television in 2007 as a cast member on the fifth season of VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club". She said that she hoped to lose 30 pounds she gained since her mother died, as well as having to move her brother into an assisted living facility. McCormick actually lost 34 pounds and was declared the individual winner of Celebrity Fit Club in June 2007.
McCormick can also be seen in Brad Paisley's video 'Online' as the next door neighbor as well as crush for Jason Alexander's geek character.
In 2008, she started as the spokeswoman for Children International as seen here https://www.children.org/AChildJustForYou-3MonthsFreeTV.asp?.
In 2008, she became a cast member of the CMT reality show "Gone Country". That appearance would lead to a spin-off reality series, "Outsider's Inn", in which she opens a bed & breakfast inn in Newport, Tennessee.
Also in 2008, she was a guest on the Food Network show Paula's Party hosted by Paula Deen.
She played Mrs. Strawther on "Son of the Beach".
Personal life
McCormick had an on-again-off-again romantic relationship with fellow Brady Bunch cast member Barry Williams that began while the series aired On March 16, 1985 she married Michael Cummings. They have one child, Natalie Michelle Cummings (born May 19, 1989). The family lives in Westlake Village in Southern California.
While McCormick found that working on the Brady Bunch show was 'fun', her off camera life differed greatly from her 'perfect? character, leading to difficulties. During those years her grandmother died from syphilis while in a mental institution. Her grandfather committed suicide one week later, and her mother later contracted the disease, leading McCormick to have an unfounded fear that she would contract the disease. Her father also cheated on her mother. Her favorite acting scenes were the ones that called for her to cry because it allowed her to release her emotions.
In the post Brady Bunch years McCormick suffered through a series of personal problems. She fell into the hard Hollywood partying lifestyle of that era becoming addicted to cocaine and became a Quaaludes user. This lead to her screwing up an interview with Steven Spielberg for a part in Raiders of the Lost Ark and a reputation for unreliability. A powerful producer threatened to stop her from working in Hollywood ever again. These addictions became so severe that she traded sex for drugs. At one point she had an unwanted pregnancy. She was also suffering from depression and bulimia
McCormick went through a series of interventions, stints in rehab and experimental therapies. McCormick says treatment with the psychiatrist who has also treated Brian Wilson set her back. She began to get sober when she became married. She continued to fight depression through therapy, medication and the help of former cast members of the Brady Bunch.
In 2007 at the urging of her daughter McCormick became a contestant and eventually a winner on the Celebrity Fit Club. She found being weighed on television cathartic. That and her entering her fifties caused her to become proud of her Marcia Brady role after decades of mixed feelings over it and led her to open up about her personal troubles. In April 2007, McCormick revealed a family dispute on Dr. Phil, accusing a brother of elder abuse and of alienating their father from his other children to gain control of his financial assets. On October 14, 2008, she released an autobiography entitled, "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice".
McCormick remains friends with all of the surviving former Brady Bunch cast members with the exception of Eve Plumb. Her relationship with Plumb was ruptured when McCormick told a televised joke about kissing Plumb. Several former cast members have said that they have never been given details about what is in McCormick's autobiography.
Dramatic portrayals
Kaley Cuoco portrayed McCormick in "Growing Up Brady". McCormick's character Marcia Brady has been portrayed by Christine Taylor in The Brady Bunch Movies.
External links
(ETOnline.com: Marcia Brady's Bulimia)
(The Official Maureen McCormick Fan Club Home Page)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Maureen McCormick.
