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Stories

‘The Brady Bunch’ Star Robert Reed Refused To Say One Line

by Dana Daly

Published September 3, 2023

Robert Reed was very particular about a line concerning strawberries

To American television viewers, he was the wholesome patriarch of the Brady family. But to his colleagues, actor Robert Reed could be very particular, sometimes even difficult, to work with. Reed was dismissive of the nature of sitcom work and even completely refused to say one particular line.

Part of this, series creator Sherwood Schwartz reasoned, had to do with Reed’s more serious background, having just come from performing Shakespeare before playing Mike Brady. But he was also very particular about little details that sitcoms might forgo fact-checking, leaving a bitter taste in everyone’s mouths indeed.

Related:

  1. Robert Reed’s Behavior Nearly Got Mike Brady Killed Off In ‘The Brady Bunch’
  2. Whatever Happened To Robert Reed, Mike Brady On ‘The Brady Bunch?’

Robert Reed refused to say a line he felt was factually incorrect

The cast and crew could have a difficult time with the actor
The cast and crew could have a difficult time with the actor / YouTube

The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch by Kimberly Potts details some of the interpersonal dynamics between The Brady Bunch cast and crew. The season four episode “Jan, the Only Child” shows Carol, played by Florence Henderson, competing with housekeeper Alice, played by Ann B. Davis, to see who can make the best strawberry preserves.

RELATED: ‘The Boy In The Plastic Bubble’ Casting Director Claims Robert Reed Was Difficult To Work With

Originally, Mike was supposed to come home and say the house smelled like “strawberry heaven.” But, Potts writes, Reed wanted to verify the validity of this very concept. He even checked the Encyclopedia Britannica and did research to find strawberries did not seem to have a fragrance when cooked.

Reed was profoundly against saying the cooked strawberries tasted like anything – let alone fruity heaven. He and Schwartz went back and forth, both ready to have their say be the final word on the matter.

Finding a middle ground – sometimes

Robert Reed refused to say a line he thought factually incorrect
Robert Reed refused to say a line he thought factually incorrect / YouTube screenshot

Finally, they settled in the middle, and Mike said, “I do believe I’ve died and gone to strawberry heaven.” There was some peace at last, although things would come to a head again in time for the finale, where Reed got into such an argument about the plot that he was written out of the show’s final episode altogether.

Reed came from a very different place in his acting
Reed came from a very different place in his acting / YouTube screenshot

“Bob was a classically-trained actor who came from a very professional background,” said biographer Ted Nichelson. “He studied with Alvina Krause at Northwestern University, who was one of the most famous and legendary acting teachers of the 20th Century. Bob was extremely intelligent and well-versed.”

He elaborated, “He studied with Alvina Krause at Northwestern University, who was one of the most famous and legendary acting teachers of the 20th Century. Bob was extremely intelligent and well-versed. He had many friends who were very talented, but did not end up being successful. I think people just need to remember where he was before The Brady Bunch came along.”

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