https://www.yahoo.com/news/brady-bunch-dad-robert-reed-110024727.html

Robert Reed, known as the lovable, wholesome dad from "The Brady Bunch," wasn’t eager to play second fiddle to a young John Travolta.

That claim was made by Joel Thurm in his book titled "Sex, Drugs & Pilot Season: Confessions of a Casting Director," where he dished on his time in Hollywood. In it, he detailed the making of the 1976 drama "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble," which starred both Reed and Travolta.

"That film was a labor of love for everybody except Robert Reed," Thurm claimed to Fox News Digital. "For him, it was just a paycheck. He just couldn’t deal with the fact that our short schedule completely revolved around John. The thing is, we just had 17 days to work with John before he had to go back to shooting ‘Welcome Back, Kotter.’ That made it inconvenient for everybody else, but we all understood, and it was totally fine. That’s just what we had to do. But not for Robert Reed."

"He was really a p---- on the set," Thurm alleged. "He was there for one reason. He was there for a paycheck."

"The Boy in the Plastic Bubble," a made-for-TV drama, told the tale of a teen born with immune deficiencies (Travolta) who yearns to leave his germ-free bubble all thanks to the girl next door (Glynnis O’Connor).

In the book, Thurm described Travolta as "a kid" who was "having a ball and very friendly to all members of the cast and crew." It was at a time when the actor was skyrocketing to fame and "couldn’t go anywhere without getting mobbed." As for Reed, Thurm alleged he "was the only annoyance" on the set "who turned out to be a royal pain in the ass."

"Understandably, ‘The Brady Bunch’ had pumped up his ego, and Reed was used to being as important as anyone on the set," Thurm wrote. "But in ‘Bubble,’ he was neither the star nor the center of attention. The shooting schedule depended on John finishing his scenes in the 17 days he was available. All scheduling had to be worked around this. Reed couldn’t handle the demotion. He was sulky, curt and made it all too clear that this job was just a paycheck to him."

Thurm said Reed’s annoyance came to a head – "literally" – on the day when his curly hair had to be straightened and rekinked twice. The laborious task was meant to show his character’s changes in appearance over the years.

"It was a lot of time for him to be on the chair," said Thurm. "And he was miserable – just miserable. And what happened, happened.

In the book, Thurm said he went over to Reed’s dressing room in an attempt to smooth things over. That’s when things allegedly took a turn.

"Reed wound up storming into his dressing room, which, by the way, was equal in all respects to John’s," Thurm wrote. "I followed him and apologized, trying to explain, once again, our ridiculous schedule."

Thurm alleged he offered the grumpy star a back rub – one that turned into more.

"The deed that should not have been done got done," Thurm alleged. "I did leave him in a better mood, but Reed, who was professionally closeted, never looked me in the eye for the remaining few days of shooting and returned to being a pain in the ass… As promised, we finished with John within his 17-day limit."

In the book, Thurm also alleged that he had a less-than-memorable sexual encounter with another closeted actor – Rock Hudson.

"You mean my non-encounter," Thurm clarified. "The important thing is that nothing happened. That’s the reason why the story is funny."

Thurm alleged that in the ‘70s, he attended an industry party where most of the attendees were gay and "lots of liquor was poured." In attendance was his teen idol. He claimed that the "Giant" star caught his eye and made a "follow me" motion to the bedroom upstairs. Thurm insisted that he was "so anxious and nervous" that nothing more occurred – to his embarrassment. Thankfully, he said, Hudson forgot all about it and appeared unfazed as he was gearing up for his latest project.

"It would be years later, probably 10 years later, until I saw him again at my office," said Thurm. "We were casting a cop series called ‘The Devlin Connection’ and he was there. Fortunately, he had no idea who I was, which was just fine with me!"

Hudson passed away in 1985 at age 59 from complications of AIDS. Reed later died in 1992 at age 59. His death certificate indicated he was infected with HIV. In their lifetimes, both men kept their sexuality a secret, knowing it would have derailed their thriving careers.

Over the years, Thurm was involved with several iconic TV shows and films, such as "Rocky Horror Picture Show," "The Golden Girls," "Family Ties" and "Miami Vice." He’s also met numerous stars on the rise along the way. But it was Travolta, who Thurm met when the actor was just 17 years old, that left a lasting impression on him.

"I remembered when he walked into my office in New York – this was before anything," Thurm recalled. "He was just a polite, charming and incredibly handsome young man - he was a star right from the beginning. Even though he was from New Jersey and his name ends in a vowel, he was nothing like the character he would play, Vinnie Barbarino, in ‘Welcome Back, Kotter.’ John Travolta was just one of those people you met and instantly knew he was special, that he was going places."

"In that meeting, we talked about his aspirations," Thurm shared. "He told me that he really wanted to learn how to fly an airplane. It was just a wonderful meeting with this young man with dreams and ambitions. But it was only when he moved to California that things really began to move for him. And I wasn’t surprised. He had that star quality from the start."

While "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" didn’t result in an Emmy nomination for Travolta, Thurm said it led to something much more important. It showed audiences and filmmakers that Travolta could act beyond sitcoms. After that film, Thurm and Travolta worked together in "Grease" and "Moment by Moment."

"What I hope readers get from my book – and it starts at the very beginning – nobody knows anything about how the casting process works," said Thurm. "Casting directors don’t choose the people who wind up with the parts. We suggest, cajole, hammer over the head, twist arms, and do anything that we can to convince the people who make the decisions. But we certainly don’t have the last word."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/brady-bunch-dad-robert-reed-110024727.html

Sadly, Robert Reed hated himself for being gay, hence his mood and attitude.

Thanks for posting. That's a fascinating story and reveals so much about closeted Hollywood. Maybe they could have asked Travolta for a 3 some :) Travolta has been accused of allegedly hitting on several male performers in movies he was in.
Gosh, the 70s were such a wild time.

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It is always fun to discover that the closeted actor who is best known for the big family on television, once hit on this former A+ list actor, when the two made a movie together and the A+ lister was still unknown. The big family actor then made the life of the A+ lister miserable because of the rebuffing of advances. Robert Reed/”The Brady Bunch”/John Travolta/”The Boy in the Plastic Bubble”

Reed had a history of problems, Sherwood Schwartz indicated he would have done the 6th season of The Brady Bunch without Reed (he had enough of him) had the series been renewed.

In an interview done for the Carson Podcast, Gabe Kaplan indicated that he had starred with Reed in the road company production of Doubles, he and Reed did not get along, Reed quit the show! Here is the really odd thing, opening night in each city after Reed had been replaced in the show he showed up in the audience to watch the play.

Reed had a history of problems, Sherwood Schwartz indicated he would have done the 6th season of The Brady Bunch without Reed (he had enough of him) had the series been renewed.

In an interview done for the Carson Podcast, Gabe Kaplan indicated that he had starred with Reed in the road company production of Doubles, he and Reed did not get along, Reed quit the show! Here is the really odd thing, opening night in each city after Reed had been replaced in the show he showed up in the audience to watch the play.
That's a fascinating story. Equally odd was Reed's obsessive displeasure with Brady scripts and focusing in on tiny details of them being unrealistic. He even refused to appear in a few episodes because he felt so strongly about them.
YET
He had no problem and actually enjoyed the Brady Bunch Hour with ridiculous scripts and silly singing and dancing that even back then made people cringe.
So the story about him showing up at the play is equally inconsistent ;)

He also showed up for the filming of the final Brady episode, “The Hair Brained Scheme,” even though the producers wrote him out of it for complaining so much.

I think he was a troubled man. In addition to the issues with his sexuality, I think he was always disappointed that he was not as well regarded as an actor as he wanted to be. And he was an excellent actor. But after The Defenders and The Brady Bunch, he mostly did TV guest appearances and stage work (often road companies).

He loved the Brady kids, though, and they very fondly remember him. That’s how I’d rather think of him.

^^^
Well said.

Robert Reed is one of the primary reasons the show has endured. He brought a serious element that helped counteract the silliness. A typical comedic actor would have probably added nothing in that respect.

Reed had a history of problems, Sherwood Schwartz indicated he would have done the 6th season of The Brady Bunch without Reed (he had enough of him) had the series been renewed.

In an interview done for the Carson Podcast, Gabe Kaplan indicated that he had starred with Reed in the road company production of Doubles, he and Reed did not get along, Reed quit the show! Here is the really odd thing, opening night in each city after Reed had been replaced in the show he showed up in the audience to watch the play.

It's quite apparent that Robert Reed was embarrassed by The Brady Bunch and really didn't want to be there to begin with. He had just come off of The Defenders (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Defenders_(1961_TV_series)), which was considered a high class show, and he felt he was better than a stupid sitcom. If I have my facts straight, Robert did the pilot for The Brady Bunch for the money, never believing it would get on the air. Perhaps, he would have been happy to do a smarter sitcom like The Mary Tyler Moore Show than something from the creator of Gilligan's Island.

That's a fascinating story. Equally odd was Reed's obsessive displeasure with Brady scripts and focusing in on tiny details of them being unrealistic. He even refused to appear in a few episodes because he felt so strongly about them.
YET
He had no problem and actually enjoyed the Brady Bunch Hour with ridiculous scripts and silly singing and dancing that even back then made people cringe.
So the story about him showing up at the play is equally inconsistent ;)

Robert Reed was said to also have issues with the scripts and direction of the short-lived Bradys revival series from 1990. It has been alleged that had it gotten to a second season, then Mike Brady would've been killed off in a helicopter crash and Carol would've taken his place in the city councilperson seat. That's pretty much how fed up Sherwood Schwartz was with him. I heard that Robert even went to the upper brass at CBS to personally voice his grievances.

Robert Reed is one of the primary reasons the show has endured. He brought a serious element that helped counteract the silliness. A typical comedic actor would have probably added nothing in that respect.

I don't agree with your statement. The reason the show was a hit and has endured was the kids. Reed, Henderson and Davis all contributed equally to the show's success.

It's quite apparent that Robert Reed was embarrassed by The Brady Bunch and really didn't want to be there to begin with. He had just come off of The Defenders (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Defenders_(1961_TV_series)), which was considered a high class show, and he felt he was better than a stupid sitcom. If I have my facts straight, Robert did the pilot for The Brady Bunch for the money, never believing it would get on the air. Perhaps, he would have been happy to do a smarter sitcom like The Mary Tyler Moore Show than something from the creator of Gilligan's Island.

I think Reed was a very good actor, but he wanted to be more, he wanted to be the star and the creative force behind the product he was in. He has only four directing credits, beginning with season two of The Brady Bunch, he was allowed to direct one episode per season. None of the episodes are standouts, there are mistakes in each one of them and he never had a directing credit again. He has no writing credits and the one pilot he was in that was adult themed, and he was cast as the male lead didn't sell. Like Sherwood Schwartz or not, there is no arguing the fact that he created two series that have stood the test of time. Reed was good at developing characters that were created and written by other people, that's what a good actor does. Reed wanted more, he didn't get it, and he appears to have been endlessly vexed by that fact. There's an old saying, "don't get what you want, want what you get".

Robert Reed is one of the primary reasons the show has endured. He brought a serious element that helped counteract the silliness. A typical comedic actor would have probably added nothing in that respect.
I agree. But it just was not Robert. Florence too. The parents were such serious actors that it brought an anchor to the bubble gum silly scripts. If they had silly actor parents, the show would have never worked. The kids were good but real life perfect parents was what made the show endure.

Yes, but it might never have taken off with a different actor, a sillier one. It might have never even made it past the pilot episode.

Yes, but it might never have taken off with a different actor, a sillier one. It might have never even made it past the pilot episode.
The original scripts had the mom as the slapstick member of the cast. This is why Florence was not originally considered. Sherwood then decided to bring a maid for the silly parts and cast a stable, serious mom like the dad.
That was a brilliant decision. Alice was perfect. She provided slapstick comedy and some great funny lines and gave room to the parents to take the serious roles.

I don't agree with your statement. The reason the show was a hit and has endured was the kids. Reed, Henderson and Davis all contributed equally to the show's success.

Robert Reed fought to keep realism in The Brady Bunch, and prevented it from turning into slapstick comedy. Which likely would have happened if Reed was not influential on story lines and scripts.

Robert Reed was a man used to doing things his way, and was difficult to deal with in disagreements on set. He loved the Brady kids, bought them gifts and took them on trips. such as a vacation to London aboard the Queen Elizabeth II cruise ship. He also called Francis Whitfield, the Brady Kids main on-set studio teacher and welfare guardian "On of the best and most proficient in the business."

On set though he was a sticker for realism, and wanted The Brady Bunch to be more of a serious family drama. Sherwood and Lloyd Schwartz wanted the series to be more comical. I think Sherwood played into the slapstick a little too much. On Gilligan's Island, he could do that. However, The Brady Bunch should and does have more seriousness than Gilligan's Island. Yet, both shows illustrate how groups have to work together to solve conflicts.

Jack

Robert Reed is a major factor in the success of the show.

He seemed like a complicated individual. Heck, I hate myself sometimes ... sometimes I think I'm underemployed too .. and I often act better or worse, depending. He was just human.

Sadly, Robert Reed hated himself for being gay, hence his mood and attitude.

Reelz Channel recently did an episode of their series (https://www.reelz.com/show/autopsy/) Autopsy: The Last Hours of... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopsy:_The_Last_Hours_of...) on Robert Reed. They had previously (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/autopsy-the-last-hours-of/id1484888427) done an episode on Florence Henderson (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-hours-of-florence-henderson/id1484888427?i=1000586388183) by the way. The episode detailed the fact that Robert had an alcohol problem, particularly when he was working on The Brady Bunch.

Part of it had to do with his displeasure with the scripts and another part of likely had to due with his torment over being a closeted gay man in Hollywood. Susan Olsen was interviewed and she believed that being forced to hide who he truly was may have been a root towards his anger problems on set. I think that Susan also said that Robert pretty much died alone in the sense, that he didn't have a significant other.

He couldn't have a stable relationship because he was naturally worried that if it was discovered that he was gay, it would've killed his career as an actor. So Susan theorized that this is what led to Robert to have "casual" relationships with men.

Reed had a history of problems, Sherwood Schwartz indicated he would have done the 6th season of The Brady Bunch without Reed (he had enough of him) had the series been renewed.

In an interview done for the Carson Podcast, Gabe Kaplan indicated that he had starred with Reed in the road company production of Doubles, he and Reed did not get along, Reed quit the show! Here is the really odd thing, opening night in each city after Reed had been replaced in the show he showed up in the audience to watch the play.

That's a fascinating story. Equally odd was Reed's obsessive displeasure with Brady scripts and focusing in on tiny details of them being unrealistic. He even refused to appear in a few episodes because he felt so strongly about them.
YET
He had no problem and actually enjoyed the Brady Bunch Hour with ridiculous scripts and silly singing and dancing that even back then made people cringe.
So the story about him showing up at the play is equally inconsistent ;)


It is really fascinating that he was such a bizarre guy. The one story I remember best was him refusing to say the line, "This smells like strawberry heaven" to Alice when he read that cooking strawberries don't have a smell.

That story about the gay casting director during The Boy in the Bubble was really creepy. I didn't even know casting directors stayed on the set during shooting. Maybe he had another function.

Years ago, he worked at my studio when he did the soap Search For Tomorrow, which shot upstairs from us. I saw him in the elevator a couple of times, but never spoke to him.

Actors are generally weird to begin with but he's one of the strangest people I've ever heard about. Just a mass of contradictions. I'm sure that his reasons for all this, only known to him, were equally strange.

Reelz Channel recently did an episode of their series (https://www.reelz.com/show/autopsy/) Autopsy: The Last Hours of... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopsy:_The_Last_Hours_of...) on Robert Reed. They had previously (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/autopsy-the-last-hours-of/id1484888427) done an episode on Florence Henderson (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-hours-of-florence-henderson/id1484888427?i=1000586388183) by the way. The episode detailed the fact that Robert had an alcohol problem, particularly when he was working on The Brady Bunch.

Part of it had to do with his displeasure with the scripts and another part of likely had to due with his torment over being a closeted gay man in Hollywood. Susan Olsen was interviewed and she believed that being forced to hide who he truly was may have been a root towards his anger problems on set. I think that Susan also said that Robert pretty much died alone in the sense, that he didn't have a significant other.

He couldn't have a stable relationship because he was naturally worried that if it was discovered that he was gay, it would've killed his career as an actor. So Susan theorized that this is what led to Robert to have "casual" relationships with men.
Its all so sad because when he died, the Brady Bunch was on the cusp of being idolized and cherished again. He never got to see Barry's book, Growing up Brady, The Brady Bunch Movies, and all the other stuff that happened. He may have looked back and acknowledged he was a bit wrong in the way he thought and acted on the set. He was such a professional because none of his spite towards the show ever appeared in his performances.

Sadly, Robert Reed hated himself for being gay, hence his mood and attitude.Why??

Nothing wrong with being gay after all.........


Mike did well in TBB :)

Why??

Nothing wrong withbeing gay after all.........


Mike did well in TBB :)
He hated it because he could not be himself. Back in those days he would never work again and be subject to all the tabloids for coming out. In fact if he would have come out in the 70s, the Brady Bunch would not have been shown that much in syndication. Being out and gay destroyed everything you touched back then. When you cant be yourself and constantly living with secrets can make you angry and depressed.

Its all so sad because when he died, the Brady Bunch was on the cusp of being idolized and cherished again. He never got to see Barry's book, Growing up Brady, The Brady Bunch Movies, and all the other stuff that happened. He may have looked back and acknowledged he was a bit wrong in the way he thought and acted on the set. He was such a professional because none of his spite towards the show ever appeared in his performances.

Robert Reed did appear in that Brady Bunch (https://bradybunchreviewed.wordpress.com/2019/10/27/a-very-brady-episode/) centric episode of the the short-lived (https://bradybunch.fandom.com/wiki/Day_By_Day:_A_Very_Brady_Episode) NBC sitcom Day by Day (https://www.drunkmonkeys.us/2017-posts/2021/3/8/one-perfect-episode-day-by-day-a-very-brady-episode-rc-hopgood) in 1989, so it isn't like he wasn't above spoofing and poking fun at his Brady Bunch image. So do naturally wonder what he would've thought of the Brady Bunch movies with Gary Cole as Mike Brady.

Thank you for explaining.........

The original scripts had the mom as the slapstick member of the cast. This is why Florence was not originally considered. Sherwood then decided to bring a maid for the silly parts and cast a stable, serious mom like the dad.
That was a brilliant decision. Alice was perfect. She provided slapstick comedy and some great funny lines and gave room to the parents to take the serious roles.

I read (https://www.metv.com/stories/before-florence-henderson-came-along-this-is-the-actress-theyd-already-cast-as-mrs-brady) that Joyce Bulifant (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Bulifant), who played (https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/mary-tyler-moore-actress-joyce-bulifant-recalls-almost-playing-mrs-brady-her-tumultuous-hollywood-marriages) Murray Slaughter's wife (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0zWx1sAdCs) on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, was considered (https://www.tvinsider.com/793353/the-brady-bunch-carol-brady-casting-florence-henderson-joyce-bulifant/) or in-line (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwmVRK9KJns) for the Carol role before they went with Florence Henderson.

He seemed like a complicated individual. Heck, I hate myself sometimes ... sometimes I think I'm underemployed too .. and I often act better or worse, depending. He was just human.

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In this captivating video, we delve deep into the hidden truths surrounding the late Robert Reed. Known for his iconic role as Mike Brady on "The Brady Bunch," Reed was a beloved television personality who captured the hearts of millions. However, his life was shrouded in darkness, with secrets that remained concealed until after his passing.

Join us on a journey as we uncover the shocking revelations that emerged after Robert Reed's death. Prepare to be astounded as we unveil the untold stories that shed light on the enigmatic persona he kept hidden from the public eye.

With each revelation, we shed light on the darkest corners of Reed's life. From hidden vices to illicit relationships, nothing is off-limits as we explore the secrets that plagued him throughout his existence. Prepare to witness a side of Robert Reed that few knew existed.

Join us on this riveting journey into the heart of darkness as we expose the secrets that emerged after Robert Reed's death. Brace yourself for a revelation that will challenge your perception of a television icon and leave you questioning the nature of fame, success, and the cost of keeping secrets.

Don't forget to explore our channel for more captivating videos that delve into the hidden secrets of celebrities, the mysteries of history, and the intriguing stories that shape our world. Subscribe now and be part of our community as we continue to unravel the enigmas that captivate us all.

▬Contents of this video▬

00:00 - Intro
01:12 - The Enigma of Robert Reed
02:26 - The Struggle with His Sexuality
03:58 - The Hidden Battle
05:28 - Outro