Barry Williams
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| Barry Williams | |
|---|---|
 Williams at the Big Apple Convention in Manhattan, October 1, 2010. |
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| Born | Barry William Blenkhorn September 30, 1954 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Spouse | Eila May Matt (m. 1999-2006) (divorced) Diane Martin (m. 1990-1992) (divorced, deceased) |
Barry William Blenkhorn (born September 30, 1954), known professionally as Barry Williams, is an American actor best known for his role as Greg Brady in the ABC television series The Brady Bunch.
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[edit] Early life and career
Barry Williams was born in 1954 in Santa Monica, California, to Doris May Moore and Canadian-born Frank Millar Blenkhorn of English, Scottish and German ancestry.[1] Williams decided as a child that he wanted to be an actor, and in 1967 made his television debut in an episode of Dragnet. Williams was cast in guest roles on Adam-12, The Invaders, That Girl, Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad and Here Come the Brides before being cast in 1969 as Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch. As the eldest of the show's six children, his story lines often involved his romances. As Greg Brady reached his teenage years, the show's producers began to groom and promote Williams as a teen idol.
[edit] Later career
Following the cancellation of The Brady Bunch in 1974, Williams found he was unable to attract the type of high profile roles that might have expanded on his earlier career success. He resumed playing guest roles on television, and became involved in musical theater, touring with productions such as Grease, The Sound of Music and West Side Story. He also made what would prove to be unsuccessful attempts in establishing a career as a recording artist. In 1988, Williams appeared on Broadway in the musical Romance/Romance with Tony Award-nominee Alison Fraser. Williams took over the lead male role of Alfred/Sam when Scott Bakula left the production. Years later, Williams was able to capitalize on being type-cast as Greg Brady. Amid a procession of appearances in TV and movies that played up his famous teen role, he ended up landing a role that was quite a departure from the Brady image, and that could have shaken off that image if the role was held longer: briefly in 1984, he was tapped to play English con man Hannibal, who conspired with Holly Sutton Scorpio (Emma Samms) on the top-rated General Hospital. Although the appearance was well-received, Williams was not asked back after his initial story arc was concluded.
His 1992 autobiography, Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg, written with Chris Kreski, stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for three months. The book was adapted into a 2000 TV movie titled Growing Up Brady, starring Adam Brody as Williams.
Williams has appeared in various Brady Bunch TV movie reunions, including the 1988 Christmas movie A Very Brady Christmas, in which his sole family problem is missing his wife, Nora. The issue with his wife is solved when Nora shows up at the Brady house on Christmas, poinsettia in hand.
He also has created a cabaret act that pays tribute to his past, and played himself in the 2003 film Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, the film involving the plight a former child star who finds himself out of work. In 2000, Williams sang a parody of Eminem hit single "The Real Slim Shady", called "The Real Greg Brady" it was co-written by David Brody (Comedy Writer and Radio Producer) for Z100 NY, and Jay Gilbert of Froggy Radio in Cincinnati. In 2001-2002, Barry played Manager Dean "The Machine" Strickland in 13 episodes of the TV sitcom S Club 7 in Hollywood which featured the British pop group S Club 7.
Williams appeared briefly as an audience member in the music video of Peter Gabriel's song "The Barry Williams Show" (2002), which is, however, not about the actor. Gabriel said he hadn't known about Williams when he wrote the song.[citation needed]
Williams appeared in the 2002 song Oakland Raiders by San Francisco rap group Luniz. Delivering a humorous monologue as the song faded out, Williams asserted his status as a pimp and stated his fondness for big dank.
Williams participated in a Celebrity Boxing match with former Partridge Family TV star Danny Bonaduce, but lost to Bonaduce, who is a martial arts black belt.
Williams also appeared with his former Brady Bunch co-star, Christopher Knight (Peter Brady), on a 2006 episode of the Fox network sitcom That '70s Show. He and Knight played a gay couple who moved in next door to the Formans. He and Knight have remained close friends since their Brady Bunch days, and he appeared in several episodes of Knight's reality show series My Fair Brady.
Williams currently hosts The Real Greg Brady’s Totally '70s Pop Quiz starring Barry Williams Saturdays on Sirius Satellite Radio's "Totally '70s" channel.
In December 2007 he launched a unique fan portal named The Greg Brady Project. The site features ongoing conversations with Barry, fans and other celebrities.
In 2008 Williams appeared in episode 6 of the Vh1 series, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. Williams participated as a friend of one of the patients, Chyna, and explained to her during a group session how her drinking had a negative impact on his own life and career.[2]
In January 2010 he took a role in The Asylum mockbuster, Mega Piranha,[3] who played alongside the former Teen-Pop singer Tiffany.[4]
On October 17, 2010, Williams took part in the judging panel for Classical Academies Got Talent, a contest between talents from three public charter schools in Escondido, California. The judging took place at Moonlight Amphitheatre, a regional theatre located in Vista, California.[citation needed]
In 2011 Williams starred as the Camp Director for Camp Playboy. Camp Playboy is a show about Playboy girls having topless slumber parties, water fights, and au natural hikes.
[edit] Actors' Equity dispute
In January 2001, Williams was fined $52,000 by Actors' Equity Association, the union representing stage actors, for starring as Captain Von Trapp in a non-union tour of The Sound of Music. According to Variety, the production was picketed in several cities. Williams responded by filing a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, arguing that the fine was illegal because he had resigned from the union in September 2000 before the tour began. Equity alleged that Williams, who joined the union in 1974, was still a member when he began contract negotiations for the role.[5]
Williams was reinstated by Actor's Equity as a member in good standing in 2005 after he unionized a non-equity production of A Christmas Carol in late 2004.
[edit] References
- ^ Family Tree
- ^ Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, Season 1, Episode 6, VH1.com, accessed February 28, 2011.
- ^ First Pics From Mega-Piranha Stink Like Fish
- ^ Megapiranha Artwork Everything You Could Have Hoped For
- ^ Jones, Chris. "Williams battles fine by Equity", Variety, June 25, 2001
[edit] External links
- 1954 births
- Living people
- American television actors
- American child actors
- American musical theatre actors
- People from Santa Monica, California
- Participants in American reality television series
- American people of Canadian descent
- American people of German descent
- American people of Scottish descent
- American people of English descent
