Actor Barry Williams, a contestant on season 32 of “Dancing with the Stars,” recently talked about the “hard to hide” chemistry with his co-star on “The Brady Bunch.”
Williams was partnered with professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd on DWTS in 2023, placing seventh overall. The 71-year-old recently appeared on the CW’s docuseries, “TV We Love,” talking about the emotions on set of “The Brady Bunch,” a sitcom that aired from 1969 to 1974.
Barry Williams Says it was ‘Hard to Hide That Chemistry’ in ‘The Brady Bunch’ Scene
Lloyd Schwartz, a producer and son of the show’s creator Sherwood Schwartz, directed a 1973 episode called “Room at the Top,” where Williams’ character, Greg Brady, was fighting with his sister Marcia Brady, played by Maureen McCormick, according to PEOPLE.
The TV siblings were fighting over who would get a shared bedroom in the busy house of six kids.
“There was a scene where Barry came into Maureen’s room and she’s sitting there, and he sits down on the bed next to her,” Schwartz said of one scene.
In the scene, Greg tried to comfort his sister after realizing their argument had gone a bit too far. However, Schwartz had to tell Williams that the actors’ chemistry wasn’t exactly platonic enough for the scene, per PEOPLE.
“I remember the scene, I remember the day,” Williams said. “I remember the day Lloyd discovered that there might have been a little bit too much attraction between brother and sister.”
“Maureen McCormick is very, very attractive… so I was, you know, gravitated right to her, and it was coming out in our scenes together,” Williams laughed.
“I’m sitting a little too close, leaning in a little too far. We finished the scene, and it was kind of like steam there. And he was right,” the actor continued.
“It’s very hard to hide that chemistry. Lloyd was on the set, and he pulled me aside and said, ‘Good scene. I just want you to keep in mind here that she is your sister.'”
Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick Talk ‘On-Again, Off-Again’ Romance
GettyWilliams has dished on his and McCormick’s “on-again, off-again” relationship in the past, PEOPLE reported.
In an episode of “The Real Brady Bros” podcast, Williams and his other Brady Bunch co-star Christopher Knight, who played Peter Brady, recalled sensing chemistry between the two.
“You two were looking a little bit close, a little bit less like brother and sister and more like …” Knight said.
“You mean dreamy-eyed?” Williams suggested.
“The longing kind of wide-eyed. Yeah. That was you. And she was looking dreamy,” Knight said.
“It was sort of like on-again, off-again with Maureen and I throughout the years,” Williams explained of their relationship. “There was always a little dance being played that was broken up by hiatus.”
McCormick has also spoken publicly about the chemistry between the two. She told TODAY in 2008 about the difficulties of filming together.
“Barry and I were extremely attracted to each other,” she said. “It was even hard to be in a scene together.”
“I was just dreaming of this romance. I had such an amazing attraction for him,” she continued. “It was awkward to be in scenes playing brother and sister. People started seeing it. Fortunately, it was on-again, off-again. We look at it now and we laugh.”
