"It was a send-up with some sweetness": Gary Cole explains why The Brady Bunch Movie worked when many found it "weird"

Gary Cole discussed his time portraying the famous character Mike Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie and its sequel. He shared his thoughts on why he believes the 1995 version struck a good balance between comedy and respect for the original.

The actor, now 69 years old, played the dad of one of TV’s most beloved families in both The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel. He discussed the lasting impact of these films and why they connected with viewers during a chat with Remind Magazine.

“I remember bad hair. Polyester. High platform shoes. And a lot of laughing,” Cole recalled about filming the movies.

He said the films succeeded because they managed to honor the spirit of the original 1970s series while playfully updating it for a new generation.

“It was really well put together, to me. I think the reason it worked, it was kind of a send-up, but it was a send-up with some sweetness attached to it. It was a tip of the cap to a show that was a big success and meant a lot to a lot of people.”

Cole added that time has since added another layer of nostalgia to the film.

“What’s funny now is that someone said to me is they watched it, but even the people that regarded the Bradys as weird are also now [in] a time capsule because it’s so ’90s if you look at that movie. So they’re just as dated as the Bradys.”

The Brady Bunch Movie brings classic sitcom nostalgia to the ’90s screen

The Brady Bunch Movie, directed by Betty Thomas, brought the well-loved sitcom family into the 90s. They maintained their old-fashioned charm and cheerful attitude despite the changing world around them. Several original cast members from the 1969–1974 series, including Florence Henderson, Ann B. Davis, Barry Williams and Christopher Knight, made cameo appearances.

Cole shared that the approval of one original cast member meant a great deal to him.

“I ran into Maureen McCormick at an event, at one point, and she actually said that I did a good job, which meant a lot to me,” he said, referring to the actress who originally played Marcia Brady.

Cole, who was a teenager when The Brady Bunch first aired, recalled that he and his friends didn’t usually watch the show live.

“When it came on the air, it was 1969, so I was in junior high school, and it was Friday night, which was significant,” he said. “So I had one foot out the door on Friday nights, like most of my friends did.”

However, he remembered that one character in particular stood out to him and his peers:

“I do remember all my friends talking about Marcia, for obvious reasons, when you’re a teenage boy.”

The Brady Bunch Movie grossed more than $50 million at the box office.