Ann B. Davis Recalled When Robert Reed Was Humbled On ‘The Brady Bunch’

For five seasons, audiences followed along with The Brady Bunch, watching the different personalities bounce off of one another in a world that was both idyllic and relatable. But the corresponding actors also had very strong personalities that sometimes came into conflict with one another. Robert Reed, the face of Mike Brady, could be difficult to work with, yet Ann B. Davis, known as the beloved Alice Nelson, got to see him be rather humbled during filming.

The original The Brady Bunch ran from 1969 to 1974 and would go on to inspire several spin-offs along with a devoted following, earning the show an enduring spot in the cultural zeitgeist of television history. It proved a bumpy road sometimes, as Reed had a documented history of being stubborn and very particular, but his reaction to one big spoof at his own expense saw him give a surprising reaction.

Ann B. Davis witnessed an outtake that saw Robert Reed humbled

One episode of The Brady Bunch saw Carol Brady take on the tasks Mike typically handled, while Mike worked on cooking and household chores that Carol usually handled. While the plot had Mike mess up because the script demanded it, not all of that was acting. However, Reed was not a fan of the episode’s premise one bit.

That’s because Reed was very particular about fact-checking and once even outright refused to say a line about the house smelling like “strawberry heaven” because strawberries didn’t smell when cooked.

Similarly, Reed wasn’t won over with this food-related scenario. “I remember one time, the plot was switching roles,” Davis recalled. “Carol was going to go and play ball with the boys. And Mike was going to stay in and cook with the girls. The plot called for him to drop an egg on the floor, slip on the egg, and fall down. Well, you would’ve thought he’d been asked to slit his own throat.”

Reed ended up with egg on his face and clothes and shoes and floor

Reed gave out complaints of, “Oh that’s unbelievable, that would never happen.” It was wearing on the crew. “So,” Davis shared, “whoever was directing finally said, ‘Bob, just try it.’” It didn’t take long for a very devoted, unintentional brand of method acting to kick in.

“Well, as it happened,” said Davis, “he did drop the egg, he did step in it, and he did fall, without any prompting at all.”

For all his protests, however, Reed’s reaction was shocking, according to Davis, who revealed, “He told me, ‘On the way down, I thought, I deserve this.’” He readily laughed at himself for the whole overly-dramatic incident.