Susan Olsen, best known for her role as Cindy Brady on "The Brady Bunch," has shared the moment she realized she disliked acting. The actress, who starred on the sitcom from 1969 to 1974, stated in an interview with ReMIND Magazine that she was 23 years old when she had this realization. Olsen, who celebrated her 65th birthday on Friday, reflected on her television career and admitted that she believes she pursued the wrong career path.
Olsen expressed regret that she did not pursue filmmaking, a field she feels she would have been better suited for. She recalled being accepted into the University of Southern California, though her grades were not high enough, and not pursuing film school despite an inkling for it. "I do not know why I didn't go ahead and join the film school, because i must have known that I had an inkling for that. And now I know that's really where I belong, and it's just weird to me that I didn't know it [then]," she told the publication.
The actress described a specific moment when, on her way home with a script in hand, the realization struck her. "Oh my gosh, I hate acting. What am I doing? This is terrible," she recalled thinking. Although she completed the role, she subsequently informed her agent that she could not continue, stating, "It wasn't my medium." Following this, things began to change for her as a graphic artist.
Olsen also shared that she once harbored dreams of becoming a musician and a rock star. "I did more dreaming than practicing," she admitted, adding that she played guitar and found herself more suited for the bass guitar. She was part of a band before her acting career took off.
After stepping away from acting, Olsen pursued alternative careers, including graphic design, radio talk show hosting, and animal advocacy. She did, however, return for several "Brady Bunch" spinoffs and later participated in the HGTV series "A Very Brady Renovation" in 2019. In 2021, she reunited with some of her "Brady Bunch" costars for the Lifetime Christmas movie "Blending Christmas."