The Brady Bunch alum Susan Olsen has been pictured for the first time in years and sources say she’s deliberately kept a low profile during that time – while devoting her time to family and helping kids fulfill their acting dreams, a source exclusively tells Closer.
“Susan lives in a quiet suburb of L.A. and pretty much shuns the spotlight these days. She still speaks fondly of her time on The Brady Bunch but it’s not something she really brings up. It’s very much in her rear-view mirror,” the insider shares.
The actress was most recently photographed in April, going grocery shopping after leaving work at the Vibe Performing Arts Center in Santa Clarita, California.
“You’d think that being on such an iconic show that’s still in reruns to this day, she’d be living the high life with tons of money coming in from residuals, but that’s just not the case. She actually lives a very humble life,” the source reveals.
Susan Olsen
“Susan teaches acting to kids at a small studio near her home and is rarely ever recognized. She doesn’t get invited to any Hollywood events and she claims to have no interest in it,” the insider says.
“She’s quite isolated and spends most of her time making sure her son Michael has everything he needs,” the source shares. Michael is nearly 30 and on the autism spectrum. He’s the “center of her world,” the insider adds.
Susan shot to fame as a child, playing youngest family member Cindy Brady on The Brady Bunch. The iconic family comedy ran for five seasons on ABC from 1969 to 1974.
The show’s popularity led to spinoffs and TV movies. Susan took part in 1976’s The Brady Bunch Variety Hour and 1981’s The Brady Girls Get Married. She once again returned to the role of Cindy in the 1990 revival The Bradys, which revisited the family with the children all grown up.
Susan has acted sporadically since then. She appeared in two episodes of the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless in 2010, as well as the 2013 TV movie Holiday Road Trip. Susan’s most recent acting credit was in the 2021 Lifetime holiday movie Blending Christmas.
The Santa Monica, California, native was married to ex-husband Mitch Markwell from 1995 through 2004. They welcomed their son, Michael, in 1997.
Michael has accompanied his mom on several red carpet appearances over the years, including the debut of Hollywood Museum’s Back to the Future Trilogy: The Exhibit in December 2019. He looked like Susan’s mini-me with the same blonde hair and blue eyes.
Susan Olsen and Michael Markwell
Susan — who named her son after her Brady Bunch costar Michael Lookinland — has been open about sharing photos of her only child on Instagram over the years, including his love of music and playing the guitar.
The actress is also still close to her Brady Bunch costars. Susan shared a photo of an outing in 2021 including her TV siblings Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb and Mike, sharing a meal at a restaurant. She wrote in the caption, “Dinner with family.”
