BRADY BUNCH Producer Remembers Robert Reed’s Commitment To Being ‘A Strong Father Figure’
By Movieguide® Contributor
BRADY BUNCH producer Lloyd Schwartz is opening up about what it was like behind the scenes on the famous sitcom in a new interview.
Working on the show, created by Schwartz’s father Sherwood, was one of the producer’s favorite jobs over his career.
“I was brought in as a dialogue coach for the six kids,” he told Fox News, reminiscing about his beginning on the show. “I saw myself as an uncle to them because I was not that different than them, age-wise.”
Schwartz was especially impressed with Robert Reed, who played father Mike Brady, and his dedication to playing “a strong father figure.”
“Robert [Reed] was an interesting guy,” he explained. “He really wanted to be a leading man and then suddenly, he was cast as a father to these six kids. He took the role very seriously. Most TV fathers up to that point were either idiots, churchgoers or jerks usually married to really hot women. But he wanted to be a strong father figure. I think he did a really good job at that.”
Reed’s commitment to portraying a dependable and admirable TV father even led to some dissent on set.
“I know that we had creative differences with Robert,” Schwartz said. “He wanted the show to be more grounded. He was a serious actor, and this was a comedy, a sitcom. So he would resist that. But I think in the end, we ended up with a good compromise. He wanted to portray himself as a strong father figure, and we gave him the space to do that. And people reacted very positively to that.”
The producer also shared that he remains close with the BRADY BUNCH kids to this day.
“We’re very close. I see them about three, four times a year,” Schwartz said. “We always support each other’s projects. And I still feel like I’m an uncle to them. And whenever we get together, we fall back immediately into that understanding we had that led to this journey. They’re family. I go to their weddings. I’ve met all of their husbands and wives. The show has bonded us. We’re family.”
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