Robert Reed
Birthday:
19 October 1932, Highland Park, Illinois, USA
Birth Name:
John Robert Rietz Jr.
Height:
191 cm
Robert Reed was born on October 19, 1932 in Highland Park, Illinois, USA as John Robert Rietz Jr. He was an actor, known for The Brady Bunch (1969), The Defenders (1961) and The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976). He was married to Marilyn Rosenberger. He died on May 12, 1992 in Pasadena, California, USA.
[on his professional name, which was chosen for him] I can't stand the name "Reed". It always reminds me of vanilla or tapioca pudding.
[on his professional name, which was chosen for him] I can't stand the name "Reed". It always reminds me of vanilla or tapioca pudding.
The Brady Bunch (1969) will remain popular until it's an anachronism. Then it'll fall into Our Gang status.
The Brady Bunch (1969) will remain popular until it's an anachronism. Then it'll fall into Our Gang status.
I was young, brash, so-called classically trained and well educated.
I was young, brash, so-called classically trained and well educated.
Every television actor says the same thing when you ask him why he's doing theater: to work up the juices. But the basic reason is the scrip...Show more »
Every television actor says the same thing when you ask him why he's doing theater: to work up the juices. But the basic reason is the script. In television, the scripts aren't very good. Show less «
[In 1986] You have to have a fairly healthy sense of humor. You can't just go out on stage and be funny. You have to work at it.
[In 1986] You have to have a fairly healthy sense of humor. You can't just go out on stage and be funny. You have to work at it.
[on his feelings about The Brady Bunch (1969)] It was just as inconsequential as can be, to the degree that it serves as a baby-sitter, I'm ...Show more »
[on his feelings about The Brady Bunch (1969)] It was just as inconsequential as can be, to the degree that it serves as a baby-sitter, I'm glad we did it. But I do not want it on my tombstone. Show less «
[In 1992] So many of us on these shows, create ersatz families, and it's very difficult to do, not so much for the adults because we're grow...Show more »
[In 1992] So many of us on these shows, create ersatz families, and it's very difficult to do, not so much for the adults because we're grown actors. But for the kids, that's another story and to make an ensemble group of kids and adults, and make it seem as they live together. And if we accomplish that, we're very pleased. Show less «
[In 1992] I knew when I saw it [the script for The Brady Bunch (1969)] we were off to Gilligan's Island (1964).
[In 1992] I knew when I saw it [the script for The Brady Bunch (1969)] we were off to Gilligan's Island (1964).
[Just before his death] In children's theater, you show the ideal. The very idea is to aspire to it.
[Just before his death] In children's theater, you show the ideal. The very idea is to aspire to it.
[In 1988, about accepting the role as Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch (1969)] Sherwood [producer Sherwood Schwartz] gave me the plot that soun...Show more »
[In 1988, about accepting the role as Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch (1969)] Sherwood [producer Sherwood Schwartz] gave me the plot that sounded wonderful. He put together statistics of broken families, so I said, "It was going to be comedic, but not, no it's going to be life-like". But then, I got the script of it, and it was one gag after another, and I thought, "I don't think this has much of a chance, but they tell me, you can either do this or Mission: Impossible (1966)." Anyway, I did this. Show less «
Before I was reading science fiction, I read [Ernest Hemingway]. "A Farewell to Arms" was my first adult novel that said not everything ends...Show more »
Before I was reading science fiction, I read [Ernest Hemingway]. "A Farewell to Arms" was my first adult novel that said not everything ends well. It was one of those times where reading has meant a great deal to me, in terms of my development. Show less «
[about his dates who wound up fixing meals] I don't myself cook for two reasons. I don't know how, and I have no intention of learning.
[about his dates who wound up fixing meals] I don't myself cook for two reasons. I don't know how, and I have no intention of learning.
[In 1971] Any actor who changes wardrobes all day long as part of his job is on an ego trip if he enjoys getting dressed up on his own time....Show more »
[In 1971] Any actor who changes wardrobes all day long as part of his job is on an ego trip if he enjoys getting dressed up on his own time. That's why you find me in jeans and sneakers. Show less «
[In 1981] If I had my druthers, I don't know that I'd do a whole lot more TV. But one does not always have one's choice.
[In 1981] If I had my druthers, I don't know that I'd do a whole lot more TV. But one does not always have one's choice.
[Why he didn't complain about working on television] It takes a better actor. In movies, you have the best producers, best directors, lot of...Show more »
[Why he didn't complain about working on television] It takes a better actor. In movies, you have the best producers, best directors, lot of time . . . in TV, it's six or seven shows and no help at all to make drivel look good. Show less «
I'm not an expert in this field - anymore than I was a slave owner in Roots (1977) or the father of six children in The Brady Bunch (1969). ...Show more »
I'm not an expert in this field - anymore than I was a slave owner in Roots (1977) or the father of six children in The Brady Bunch (1969). But despite my lack of expertise in the area, I find it an intriguing social phenomenon and one worthy of study. Did you know there were 2 million runaways last year? Show less «
[In 1978] We're dealing with a social problem of enormous dimensions, not little kids who say, "All right, if you won't let me do such-and-s...Show more »
[In 1978] We're dealing with a social problem of enormous dimensions, not little kids who say, "All right, if you won't let me do such-and-such, I'll run away". Show less «
[In 1983] The networks are run by very bright people in most cases, but people who are totally outside the realm of theatre. They come from ...Show more »
[In 1983] The networks are run by very bright people in most cases, but people who are totally outside the realm of theatre. They come from business and advertising and banking, and even lumber. Show less «
[on why older, more familiar actors are not getting much work] The latest at home [in the United States] is for the networks to go for new f...Show more »
[on why older, more familiar actors are not getting much work] The latest at home [in the United States] is for the networks to go for new faces. Most known actors are getting too expensive. Show less «
That was what got me The Defenders (1961) job. There were literally hundreds of young actors around, and the reason the producers looked at ...Show more »
That was what got me The Defenders (1961) job. There were literally hundreds of young actors around, and the reason the producers looked at that particular film was because they were looking for a young lawyer, and they knew that there was a young actor playing a lawyer in it. Obviously, they couldn't see everyone. So that was my lucky break. Show less «
[Regarding the fights he had on The Brady Bunch (1969)] about better scripts] We fought over the scripts. Always over the scripts. The produ...Show more »
[Regarding the fights he had on The Brady Bunch (1969)] about better scripts] We fought over the scripts. Always over the scripts. The producer, Sherwood Schwartz, had done Gilligan's Island (1964) . . . Just gag lines. That was what "The Brady Bunch" would have been if I hadn't protested. Show less «
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