Maureen McCormick Opens Up About the Tear-jerking Moment You Won't See on HGTV
When actress Maureen McCormick first heard The Brady Bunch house was hitting the real estate market, she didn’t expect an intense bidding war to ensue but fully understood the interest, because she also wanted it. And when HGTV outshone all the other bidders with their astonishing $3.5 million offer, the California native considered it fate when she got the opportunity to relive her childhood alongside her TV siblings in A Very Brady Renovation.
“We shared so much of our lives together for five years,” she tells House Beautiful. “It’s been a long time since that show went off the air, and it’s crazy how you kind of just fall back into relationships. It was so comfortable and the most fun, gratifying project to be involved in.”
On September 9, HGTV will premiere its highly anticipated limited TV series, which follows America’s favorite ‘70s family working alongside HGTV stars to renovate the house—and no one’s ever see Maureen roll up her sleeves like this. The 63-year-old teamed up with The Property Brothers’ Drew and Jonathan Scott, Christopher Knight (Peter), and Susan Olsen (Cindy) for one of the biggest home renovation projects to air.
Maureen isn’t shy to say that she was crushing on the Property Brothers the entire time, and it turns out the fandom was mutual: The duo was blown away by her work ethic. She helped redo the front door, the iconic staircase, the living and dining room, and also planted trees in the front yard.
“Maureen was so gung-ho to be hands on, and the funny thing is, she isn’t even in construction,” Drew spilled to us. “When we were about to start using the jackhammer and power saws, she raced over and said, ‘Oh I’ll do it, I’ll do it,’ and we asked her if she had used the tools before, she said, ‘No, but I’ll still do it.’”
Famously known as Marcia Brady, the stunning oldest daughter, Maureen doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty. “I got to use a jackhammer and put on a hard hat, which was wonderful,” she says. “I have always loved working with my hands. I’m the happiest when my hands are busy, whether it’s crafting, thrifting, or tearing something apart.”
But being involved in the historic home renovation process came with its own mix of feelings brought on by the absence of her Brady Bunch parents, Robert Reed (Mike), Florence Henderson (Carol), and the family’s housekeeper, Ann B. Davis (Alice).
“There have been some hard, emotional moments for me. More than once, I had to turn away from the cameras because I’m still grieving the loss of cast members,” she explains. “But the end result was better than I could have ever dreamt or expected. I felt exactly like I did on that set years ago, like I was back on stage 5 on the Paramount lot in The Brady Bunch house. It’s a really crazy thing.”
Throughout it all, the actress couldn’t help but be grateful for all of the new friends she made, including a few she was starstruck by. “When we arrived on set and began working, Marcia [Maureen] came up to me and said, ‘I love your show,’ and I said, ‘I love your show!’” Leanne Ford tells us. “To have grown up with these characters and then get to work alongside them is just surreal.”
The brother and sister duo from Restored by the Fords focused on reimagining The Brady Bunch kitchen, installing colored countertops, and also worked on the adjacent room. “We grew up watching The Brady Bunch on Nickelodeon,” Steve Ford says. “It was as if there was no one we knew who wasn’t watching it at the time. It’s fair to say that they were my first crushes.”
“Oh, so, Greg was your crush?” Leanne jokingly asks. “No, he wasn’t. He was just someone I wanted to be like,” Steve clarified, but his sister was already on a different train of thought. “It’s going to be interesting to see if the ‘70s kitchen style will make a comeback because of this show,” the designer wondered out loud.
And while Leanne can safely say that the kitchen was her favorite room to work on, Maureen struggled to pick only one. “I love them all for different reasons. They all have so many different memories. It’s so hard. I love things about each room so much.”
Steve easily agrees: “Walking from room to room, seeing the entire project complete. It was easy to step into a room and get flashbacks of a particular episode.” What began as a Studio City, California home solely recognized by its exterior has now truly become part of television history, even before its official unveiling.
“All the people that HGTV brought in to be a part of this, it was like our family got bigger and they’re all part of the family now forever,” Maureen says. “Every single human being who has worked on this crew and behind the scenes have blown me away with their hard work, their passion, and their heart.”
A Very Brady Renovation premieres on Monday, September 9 at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV.
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