By India McCarty
BRADY BUNCH star Eve Plumb says this one word helped save her from the pitfalls of child stardom.
“I think that the power to say no is very valuable as an actor,” the actress, who played Jan Brady, told Fox News. “And as a person, we always talk about setting boundaries. And my parents always made sure that I had time off and that I did the right things. You don’t have to say yes to everything. And I am still that way today.”
Plumb was just 10 years old when she was cast on THE BRADY BUNCH and credits her strong family dynamic as the reason why she didn’t succumb to pressure or burnout.
“I would hope for every child actor that they have good protective parents, like mine, who saved their money and kept them away from anything that seemed suspicious,” she shared. “And also, to just know that once you’re famous you can’t go back. So be careful if you really want to choose it.”
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Plumb also spoke about the difficulties that came from transitioning from child star to adult actor, joking, “It took me a long time to realize I wasn’t a cute kid anymore.”
In a 2023 interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, she pointed to the 1976 movie DAWN: PORTRAIT OF A TEENAGE RUNAWAY as a role that helped audiences see her as an adult.
“I was really fortunate, because it was such a departure from Jan, and that was a big shocker,” she explained. “But it was great…because it was the instant transition from Jan to adult, which is very difficult for a lot of child actors to make, because once you’re not cute anymore, nobody wants you. So, that was very fortunate for me, so that’s why I did it. It was a very quick, giant step.”
Plumb is sharing more about her Hollywood past in new memoir Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond, which was published last month.
“Over the years, many people have asked me to share my stories for their book. But I finally said to myself, if I’m going to share my stories, it’s going to be in MY book,” she said in a statement given to PEOPLE. “I had a unique childhood that I would like to share now because looking back, it gives me joy.”
Child stardom can be a tricky thing to navigate, especially as actors get older, but Plumb is proof that a strong family foundation can save young people from Hollywood pressures.
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