Maureen McCormick is all grown up and middle-aged now, but her life did not
parallel that of the perky and popular teenager she portrayed in the family
sitcom "The Brady Bunch" and as an adult in "The Brady
Brides."FIG1
McCormick, 52, is the author of Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia
Brady and Finding My True Voice, released late last year, in which she
reveals that her life was nothing like that of golden-haired Marcia and her
idealized blended family. McCormick, who suffered for many years from drug
addiction and depression, will share her experiences at the eighth annual
Conversations event at APA's 2009 annual meeting in San Francisco. The session
will be held Tuesday, May 19, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Exhibit Hall E in
the Moscone Center.
"The Brady Bunch" aired from 1969 to 1974, and its catchy theme
song stubbornly lives on in the minds of anyone who saw the show during its
heyday or in reruns. In interviews with the media, she has said that she
battled her depression through therapy, medication, and the support of her
former "Brady Bunch" castmates.
"Playing Marcia was a double-edged sword; it always will be whenever
you play a character like that," McCormick said on the"
Today" show after publication of her book. "You will be
known as that character forever. So much good came from being on the show, so
much fun that I had. At the same time, it was weird because I felt like I had
to show to the public that I was Marcia—perfect, with no problems. I
didn't think I could be my imperfect self. I pretended I was Marcia, so I was
always playing this role. I became her, but yet I wasn't. It's
strange."
McCormick's career began at age 7 when she won the Baby Miss San Fernando
Valley beauty pageant, launching her into TV commercials. Soon after came
appearances in "Bewitched" and "My Three Sons."
McCormick said she hit rock bottom during "The Brady Brides."
She was addicted to cocaine and Quaaludes and earned a reputation in Hollywood
as being unreliable. She also suffered from depression and bulimia.
In 2007, after having gained a lot of weight, McCormick became a contestant
on "Celebrity Fit Club" at her daughter's urging. The winner of
the show's fifth season, she set a record for percentage of weight lost. She
characterized her feelings of the experience as "cathartic" and
started talking publicly about her other problems.
Since "The Brady Bunch," McCormick has continued to appear on
television and Broadway and in movies.
Attendance at the Conversations event is free to all annual meeting
registrants and is made possible by a charitable contribution from AstraZeneca
to the American Psychiatric Foundation.
Past "Conversations" speakers have included Patty Duke, Brooke
Shields, Mariel Hemingway, Greg Louganis, George Stephanopoulos, Tipper Gore,
and Carrie Fisher.
A DVD of Patty Duke's interview from the 2008 annual meeting may be
obtained by sending an e-mail request to
apf@psych.org.▪