http://www.metv.com/lists/8-times-robert-reed-was-not-mike-brady

THE ACTOR APPEARED IN SOME OF THE MOST GROUNDBREAKING TV MOVIES AND MINISERIES OF THE 1970S.

Most people know Robert Reed as Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch. And he was also Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, The Brady Girls Get Married, A Very Brady Christmas, The Bradys,The Love Boat and Day by Day. Just like Dawn Wells and Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island,Reed stuck with the fatherly role his entire life.

Despite the commitment, Reed considered himself a serious actor and initially didn't love the role that would come to define his career. However, out of devotion to the kids on the show, he stuck around and appeared in all the reboots.

But just because Reed appeared on the feel-good sitcom for five seasons doesn't mean he wasn't a brilliant actor. In fact, Reed was a part of some of the most groundbreaking television shows, miniseries and movies of the 1960s and '70s.

Today would have been Reed's 85th birthday. We already know and love Mike Brady. To celebrate Reed's legacy, we're taking a look at other notable, diverse roles the skilled actor played throughout his distinguished career.

Agreed, Robert Reed was in a lot of stuff in television in the 1970's.

Personally I think however, being in The Brady Bunch setback his career prospects. Think about what Gene Hackman would be like now if he had taken the role, would anyone have taken Hackman seriously and be an A Lister like he was?

I think that another situation that I would consider to be quite similar would be if Helen Hunt had gotten the role of Katie Kinisky from "Gimme a Break!". She would have been an 18-year-old actress playing a 17-year-old flirty, air headed blond. The character of Katie stayed with the show for five seasons and was terminated in 1986. I wonder, if Helen had gotten that role (which she auditioned for) if she would have ever become the world famous super-star that she was in the nineties. Any thoughts anyone?