When All Of America Had A Crush On Him, Barry Williams Rejected Social Life To Focus On Career

For most people, stardom boasts the promise of universal adoration—and a nice, full social calendar. But for The Brady Bunch icon Barry Williams, he shrugged off any idea of a social life in favor of putting all his efforts towards The Brady Bunch.

Williams, today 69, was cast as Greg Brady, the oldest of Mike’s three sons, in 1969. He would go on to reprise the role across several Brady-related spin-offs and specials, exactly the priority Williams wanted to maintain, since he had dreamt of becoming a star since he was young and he was intent on cultivating his skills and not missing any opportunity no matter how exciting a date night might have been.

Barry Williams prioritized ‘The Brady Bunch’ and other acting projects over indulging in a social life

In an interview with The Tampa Tribune in 1973, Williams shared that he aspired to become an actor when he was just a toddler. Even at that young age, he wanted to try his hand at acting and begged his mother to let him at least give it a shot. Knowing the precarious path her son would walk, mom Doris was initially reluctant but eventually, by the time he turned 11, relented.

He got his mother’s blessing and he landed the opportunity of a lifetime—it could even be said that any momentum at all was a rarity, with how fast these dreams can fizzle out. Williams was going to take this chance seriously and give it the attention and care such a rare miracle deserved.

When Williams sat down for that interview, he was a 19-year-old student of Pepperdine University whose time was split almost entirely between school, work, and classes related to the arts like acting, singing, and dancing, the latter of which would serve him well decades later in his bid to win Dancing With the Stars.

He was the opposite of a celebrity who used his fame to enhance his social life

While others might think the total opposite, Williams saw the idea of abundant socializing and partying as an obstacle standing between him and perfecting his craft and career. He divided his time carefully so he could attend classes in the morning, work on The Brady Bunch in the afternoons, and eventually fit in his dance lessons. This was his perfect way to organize the day.

“Acting is my life, and it’s more important to me than a social life,” said Williams. On top of that, fame had downsides that ironically conflicted with his goals. “Like recognition, it has its advantages and its disadvantages. I may get a better table at a restaurant, but my meals are interrupted by people wanting autographs.”

He was simply and earnestly someone who wanted to do his job and do it well, putting forth plenty of effort to get into the mind of his character. “When I play a part, myself is a tool, my resource,” Williams explained. “If I don’t have part of the character in me, I do research to find out more about him.”