Marcia from ‘The Brady Bunch’ Is ‘Still a Stunner’ at 66 — She Met Spouse in Church & Didn’t Hide 'Monsters' from Him

Nearly 49 years since the hit sitcom "The Brady Bunch" ended, Maureen McCormick's life is entirely different. The Hollywood actress who played Marcia on the show is now 66, remains happily married to her husband, and spends her days taking care of her family. The childhood star opened up about the mistakes she made during the height of her fame and how she overcame them to become the woman she is today.

Maureen McCormick grew up in front of the camera when she started her career on "The Brady Bunch" in 1969, at 14 years old. Playing the "ideal American teenager," McCormick's character portrayal of Marcia Brady quickly became popular amongst budding adolescents of the 70s.

Teens around the world formed a kinship with McCormick's lovable and relatable character on the show. Meanwhile, the promising young actress did her very best at keeping the turmoil she was going through in her life a complete secret.

When it comes to McCormick's personas on and off screen, the star has reported on several occasions how vastly different the two women are. On-screen, it appeared that "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" had it all, however, behind the scenes, McCormick gives a different story:

"I had played Marcia Brady for five years. But I wasn't her in any way, shape, or form. She was perfect. I was anything but that. So much was going on behind my fake smile."

McCormick felt as though she was playing the counterpart of who she was in real life at the time. She spoke about her insecurities and struggles with her image constantly being compared to the seemingly perfect Marcia.

The "The Brady Bunch" alum detailed how the picture-perfect depiction of Marcia haunted her in her autobiography "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice":

"For most of my life, I have been followed, and sometimes haunted, by Marcia Brady. I don't have a choice in the matter. Imagine always being shadowed by a younger, prettier, more popular you."

Though McCormick is mostly known for her famous role as Marcia in "The Brady Bunch," the starlet started working in the industry some years before the show's debut. The 70s "It" girl starred as little Endora in the 1964 rendition of "Bewitched."

Before appearing in the old-school classic, the little actress featured in numerous TV commercials, including a noteworthy Pillsbury commercial, where she adorably promotes the brand's chocolate chip cookie dough. McCormick's fans still remember her as the little girl who became one of "America's sweethearts."

In 2008, McCormick released "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice," a biography that gave the public detailed insight into the struggles, challenges, and overall drama she faced during "The Brady Bunch" era.

In the book, McCormick reveals facts about her life that many fans had no idea about, including her brief romantic relationship with her on-screen brother, Barry Williams. According to McCormick, the co-stars' relationship started after the two shared a passionate kiss while filming scenes in Hawaii. Meanwhile, in a book he wrote, Williams divulged that the pair had shared their first on-screen kiss while filming the Hawaii episode.

On an episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," the cast of "The Brady Bunch" reunited and spoke about special moments on the show. And when McCormick and Williams were asked to rate their kiss on a scale of 1-10, McCormick admitted that it was a "very good" kiss.

Even though it was her first kiss with Williams, it was not her first one ever. After the blonde beauty confirmed their kiss was a "10", Williams leaned over to give his co-star McCormick a playful kiss on the cheek.

Maureen Had To Overcome A Difficult and "Dark" Past

Life during and after "The Brady Bunch" was less than happy and pleasant for McCormick. In her tell-all memoir, the actress opened up about her difficulty with drug addiction, eating disorders, abortions, and a sordid family secret.

Marcia's well-put-together and "clean-cut" character was a huge juxtaposition to McCormick's reality at the time. The star confessed to abusing drugs as a way to escape her harsh realities, starting at 18:

"I sought refuge in seemingly glamourous cocaine dens above Hollywood. I thought I would find answers there, while in reality I was simply running farther from myself. From there, I spiraled downward on a path of self-destruction that cost me my career and very nearly my life."

McCormick also found herself abusing drugs as a way to run away from confronting a tragic truth about her family. Her grandmother had died after contracting syphilis in a mental institution and had passed the disease onto McCormick's mother in utero.

Her mother took medication for her condition to prevent passing it on to her children. However, despite this, the young star still found herself deeply troubled by the information, which added to the growing anxiety and depression she experienced as a teenager growing up in front of the camera.

Despite being labeled as an "It" girl in the 70s, McCormick still suffered from body image issues as she succumbed to the pressures of Hollywood. As a result, the young actress developed bulimia. The 70s star also recalled going so far as to sleep with her drug dealer in exchange for cocaine and recounted several unwanted pregnancies she had, which led to abortions at ages 18, 19, and 20.

McCormick decided to get clean and checked herself into rehab, and in 1985, she married her husband, Michael Cummings, who she credits for helping her turn her life around. The couple first met at church, and Cummings expressed how open and honest McCormick was with him about her "dark past":

"She was very honest with me from day one. She has always been very honest with me, an open book. And I was never worried about her reverting to her old behavior as I figured, whatever comes up, we will just deal with it."

The 70s favorite has detailed how meeting her husband helped her stop abusing drugs. She described getting a "wake-up call" from Cummings when he told her frankly that he would leave her if she ever did drugs again.

The "The Brady Bunch" alum reported that not wanting to lose her loved ones ultimately reinforced her decision to quit her dangerous habits. In an interview with Us Weekly, the actress confirmed her parents and Cummings as pillars of support that led to the success of her sobriety:

"My mom and dad, they almost turned me into the cops. They were at their last [limit] [be]cause they had been trying for years and knew something was going on. I had my last relapse, and [Michael] came to me, and he said, 'If you ever do this drug again, I'm gone; I'm leaving.' It woke me up...there's just no way I'm gonna lose somebody that I love."

When McCormick got booked to feature on "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!", she had been taking prescription medication for her depression and was smoking cigarettes. Before filming the show, she decided to stop her prescription and quit smoking. Her husband gave an overview of how McCormick would use drugs to "numb" memories from her past:

"Before she started on Prozac, Maureen struggled with a huge chemical imbalance that caused chronic depression. And taking drugs was a revelation to her; it opened up a new world. When you are on drugs, the highs are not as high, and the lows are not as low, so now she feels the highs and lows and has learned how better to cope with those emotions as they come along."

McCormick was on the rise to superstardom, but her five-year-long cocaine addiction prevented her from pursuing career opportunities further. However, since then, the 70s starlet has really changed her life around with the help of her loving husband, who sings her praises and cheers her on:

"My wife really is an amazingly courageous woman and has taken on some very big monsters in her life and overcome them."

Life Is Great For Maureen Now

After winning her battles and conquering substance abuse issues, McCormick is happy with her life. The Hollywood star has been active and engaging on her social media, and fans have noticed her new-found "glow." In an Instagram picture, the "Bewitched" talent attended a movie premiere, and fans were quick to respond with outpourings of love and compliments for her ageless beauty.

In 1989, Cummings and McCormick welcomed their first and only child, Natalie Cummings.

Cummings and McCormick celebrated their 38th anniversary earlier in the year, and McCormick posted a beautiful tribute to her husband. In the post, the 70s actress gushed over her partner, who has been a rock and support system throughout their years together:

"Thank you Michael, for 38 years of love, kindness, trust, forgiveness, sharing tears and joys, and commitment. Together we have worked through this crazy journey and gotten to the other side. You are the reason. You have made me a better person. I love you more today than yesterday."

McCormick has been extremely open and expressive about the love she and her husband share. She stated that she instantly knew that they would marry each other by the time she had first seen him. McCormick also said the following:

"I just had a feeling that I could trust him with my whole heart and that he was so honest and such a beautiful, beautiful human being."

On Valentine's Day, the loving mother posted a sweet picture of her husband and daughter. In the post's caption, McCormick called them both her "Valentines Forever."

In 1989, Cummings and McCormick welcomed their first and only child, Natalie Cummings. Despite being born to a famous mom, Natalie has decided to lead a quiet life away from the limelight. Reports stipulate that McCormick's daughter, now 33, runs her own yoga business.

Regarding her child, McCormick is the ever-adoring and dotting mother. From her earlier years of being a mom to the latter ones, the "The Brady Bunch" star never misses an opportunity to show her daughter some love.

Maureen also has an older brother, Dennis McCormick, who she loves and cares for deeply. Maureen opened up about her older brother on an episode of "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!". She disclosed that he was born with an intellectual disability.

She struggled to hold back tears as she gave insight into why she chose to play for the charity organization Achieve Australia as an ode to her brother. The actress shared with her fellow contestants that the doctors told her parents he should be institutionalized when her brother was first born.

Despite being told by the doctors to "put him away," Maureen's parents fought for their son and raised him with the rest of his siblings. Dennis, who now lives at a care facility, is regularly visited by his sister.

Maureen adores her older brother and regularly spends time with him. Dennis also avidly appears on the "Bewitched" star's Instagram feed.

McCormick is now working on a new show with design legend Dan Vickery. The show involves the dynamic duo flipping dated-looking houses into more modern-looking ones.

The new show, "Frozen in Time," aired in January 2021. The pair focuses on making something new from something old by revamping 60s-inspired residences while still maintaining the feeling of nostalgia.

McCormick was known for her singing ability as she debuted on "The Brady Bunch." The 70s star performed a rap she made up on the spot on "Sway in the Morning," promoting awareness for the Go Red for Women campaign. McCormick spoke to Sway Lee about how becoming a rapper has been one of her dreams, and the "Bewitched" star even went so far as to state that she would love to do a rap duet one day.