Is ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Barry Williams the Oldest Living Member of the Original ‘Brady Bunch’ Cast?
Dancing with the Stars‘ competitor Barry Williams is one of the most beloved classic television celebrities. For those who grew up in the 1970s and beyond, his work on The Brady Bunch remains must-see TV for its wholesome portrayal of a blended American family. However, he may hold a different distinction within his fictional television clan: is Barry the oldest living member of the original Brady Bunch cast?
Barry Williams played the oldest Brady brother, Greg, on ‘The Brady Bunch’
Barry Williams’ role as Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch instantly made him one of TV’s most recognizable faces. Alongside co-stars Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, Ann B. Davis, Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, Susan Olsen, Christopher Knight, and Mike Lookinland, The Brady Bunch became a cultural phenomenon that ran for five seasons on the ABC network.
Today, Barry is the oldest living member of The Brady Bunch cast of kids initially selected to play the offspring of a blended family headed by Mike and Carol Brady. Sadly, the trio of adult Brady family figures have since passed. Robert Reed (Mike) died in 1992, Ann B. Davis (Alice) in 2014, and Florence Henderson (Carol) in 2016.
Therefore, at 69, Barry Williams is the oldest living member of The Brady Bunch cast. Right behind him in age is Maureen McCormick at 67. Christopher Knight and Eve Plumb are both 65. Mike Lookinland and Susan Olsen are both 62.
Was Barry Williams the first ‘Brady Bunch kid’ cast in the series?
Dancing with the Stars‘ Barry Williams had quite a long television resume before landing his role on The Brady Bunch. Many fans believed he was the first “Brady kid” cast on the series. However, that was not the case.
In his book Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg, Barry Williams revealed that he was not the first cast on the series. The youngest Brady kid, Susan Olsen, was the first actor cast who made up the six siblings of the blended television family.
He wrote that the show’s producer, Sherwood Schwartz, said that Susan was the only actor he had no doubts about. “She was so absolutely perfect that once I saw her, I asked not to see any more Cindys,” he revealed.
Did you know that the Brady kids were cast on hair color?
Barry Williams revealed that casting the Brady kids came down to hair color. In the series, the father had dark hair, and the mother was blonde. Therefore, casting the kids meant matching the hair color of the siblings to their parents.
But since two separate families were involved and the casting of the Brady kids was done before the casting of their parents, Sherwood Schwartz found four sets of kids with similar features and hair. Sets one and two would match up to a dark-haired Mike and a blonde Carol. Sets three and four would pair up with a blonde Mike and dark-haired Carol.
Barry did not get the final call that he would portray the life-changing role of Greg Brady until both Robert Reed and Florence Henderson were cast as the show’s parents. Then he, Maureen, Eve, Christopher, Susan, and Mike found their final spots and the Brady six.
Barry Williams is a competitor on season 32 of Dancing with the Stars. The series airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and is simulcasted on Disney+. The series airs the next day on Hulu.
