Copyright 1977, The Laufer Company
An Intimate Interview with Susan Olsen!
16 Magazine, July, 1977, pg. 44
(Webmaster's note: Don't be an idiot! The information in this article is over 20 years old, and cannot be considered current.)
16: Hi Susan. Congratulations on the success of the new Brady Bunch Variety Hour. Bet you're real excited!
Susan: I sure am! For the last few years I've just been going horseback riding and going to school - sounds thrilling doesn't it?
16: Well, it could've been worse...
Susan: Yes, but you see I really wanted to work. I got a big kick out of doing a guest spot on The Donny & Marie Show. Up until then it was very difficult to get work, because at my age there always had to be a tutor around - plus hours off for rest and study - it was an added expense for producers. Anyway, after doing the Osmond show, the producers said something to us like "We've got something lined up for you guys...can't say anything just now." Well, I was really curious so I called my agent. He told me about the possibility of a Brady Bunch Variety Special.
16: But a variety show is very different from what the Brady Bunch was used to doing. How did that make you feel?
Susan: Excited and nervous! It sounded like a great idea for a show, but I was a little rusty in the singing and dancing department.
16: How did you solve that problem?
Susan: I practiced singing and we all took dancing lessons. Lots of us practiced our singing - as a matter of fact! We had super choreographers to help us with the dancing - Joe Cassini and Mark Hudson. They're real perfectionists and they tried to make us look really good!
16: Speaking of looking good, you sure have an interesting and colorful wardrobe on the variety series!
Susan: I sure do. It was so much fun getting costumes for the show. On the old Brady Bunch, it was just stuff off the racks, but for the new shows we have fittings and they took jillions of measurements! Costumes are definitely more fun than regular street clothes. When I saw some of the finished costumes, I just flipped over them! You perform better in something that looks good and makes you feel good.
16: Well, your performance is always terrific, so all of these things must help to bring out the best in you.
Susan: They are a big help, but so is my mom. She helps me with everything. She's given me a great attitude towards work, and she still helps me study my lines.
16: She sounds super! Susan, how long had it been since you'd seen the other kids?
Susan: I'd kept in touch with Mike and Eve, and a little bit with Maureen. I hadn't seen much of Chris and Barry, and of course Geri was the new "Jan" in the Bunch. But when we got together again, it was like we'd never been apart!
16: It's easy to see that you all get along just by watching all of you work together. But let's get down to Susan Olsen. What kind of person is she?
Susan: I think I'm an okay person - just like the rest of my friends. I'm pretty level-headed.
16: Susan, what about your vital statistics?
Susan: Well, I'm 5'2", weigh 108 pounds. I've got blonde hair and blue eyes. You don't want me to get any more "vital" than that do you?
16: No, that's just fine. You said once that you're not permitted to go out on dates yet. Is that still true?
Susan: It will be until August 14th. That's when I'll be 16 - my mom says I can go out on regular dates then - not just in groups as I've been doing up until now.
16: Are you looking forward to August 14th?
Susan: yes, it will be a whole new thing for me.
16: What kinds of boys interest you?
Susan: Looks are nice, but a nice person counts for more. I don't want anyone who's phony or too macho. I like a guy who can just be himself. I've seen so many phonies! Lots of guys have lost respect for girls - I like someone who can can treat me with respect. That's very important to me. A sense of humor is important too.
16: Have any fellas ever been jealous of you because of your career?
Susan: Yeah, some guys used to tease me because they were jealous of what I was doing as an actress. But now I find that's changed. Guys may notice me more because I'm in show business, but they treat me with respect. If they tease me at all now, it's in fun and not because they're jealous.
16: What are your plans for the future? Do you want to get married?
Susan: I plan to continue acting, but eventually I hope to marry. I just want to get acting out of system first. If I marry and have a family, I want to be there. I don't think it's right to have a family and never be there 'cause you're always working. Anyway, I don't especially care for housework yet!
16: And acting?
Susan: Yes, acting is what I want to concentrate on now. Funny, but I never thought I'd be doing variety shows! I like to do comedy though - it prepares you for lots of acting jobs.
16: Is there anyone special you'd like to work with?
Susan: I used to concentrate on working with a particular person, and I used my positive thinking - I was eight or nine - and on the next interview I went on, I was sitting in the waiting room thinking about what if I get the part and Mark Lester is in it and some said, "Guess who's in the film? Mark Lester!" Now, if I could, I'd like to work with Jack Lemmon, Chevy Chase, Lord Laurence Olivier, George Segal (he's so good), and Eliot Gould. I love their dry comedy!
16: Well, with your powers of positive thinking, Susan, you'll probably get your wish!