Her real name is Maureen McCormick, most people know her as Marcia Brady, and a few still might insist on addressing her by her Indian name from "The Brady Braves" episode: Willow Dancing in Wind.
The teenage star of the '70s sit-com "The Brady Bunch" is now 37, living in California with her husband and 4-year-old daughter. Among other things, she is currently touring the country as part of "Birth Control Matters" seminar for students."I decided to participate in this program because I was shocked to learn of the 3.6 million women who experience unintended pregnancy in the United States alone," McCormick says. She recently spoke to us from her home while waiting for her baby sitter to arrive.
Q. Are you still very recognizable today? Do people come up to you and say, "Marcia"?
A. Oh, yes. Five-year-olds recognize me. It's bizarre. I was in Africa and people spotted me.
Q. Did the pharmaceutical companies seek you out for these seminars, or were you already involved with promoting birth control on your own?
A. They contacted me. I would guess because of "The Brady Bunch's" popularity and the way it crosses so many generations. It gives them a very wide audience.
Q. If "The Brady Bunch" had tackled birth control, do you think it would have been on the Davy Jones episode ("Getting Davy Jones") when you took him to the Fillmore Junior High prom?
A. No, never. I was too young. It was a different time then. The show had this naive, squeaky-clean quality to it. I think that's why in this day and age people find it refreshing.
Q. Right after the "Brady" show was canceled you took the role of a heroin addict on "Harry O." Was that an easy role, since you were going through withdrawal from the Bradys anyway?
A. I did miss them as family, but you just keep working. I went right out into playing drug addicts and hookers. As an actress you want to do different things.
Q. Did you have braces in real life?
A. No, but I always wanted them, and for that episode ("Brace Yourself") they made impressions and everything and I got to have them cemented on. It was great.
Q. And the next week they were gone?
A. Nothing lasts for more than a half hour on TV.
Q. The actress who played Jan (Eve Plumb) has said that having been on the show is kind of a "Twilight-Zone" thing now. You're everyone's Trivial Pursuit question. Are you annoyed by that?
A. It is amazing. At times, mind-boggling. But I really loved being part of the show. I'm proud of it. It's classic.
Q. Were you once in tears on the set because you had to use the word "groovy" in a scene?
A. Well, we would get upset because they always seemed to be a little bit behind the times. "Groovy" was already out and it was like, "Oh, can I please not say this?" It was the same with the clothes.
Q. Is it true you dated Greg in real life?
A. No, but I know that got twisted around by the media. Barry (Williams) and I were good friends and I had a crush on him at times and he had a crush on me but it never seemed to be at the same time.
Q. None of the ex-Brady kids has been arrested, have they?
A. No, and we've survived as friends. I think that's one of the great things about having been on the show.
Q. Any more reunion shows planned?
A. No, not that I know of. We'll probably have our own reunions, they just won't be televised.