Robert Reed used to frequent the restaurant I worked in, in South Pasadena, Ca. He was the most charming and wonderful person. Always kind, and always had a smile. An absolute pleasure to wait on him anytime he was there. I have wonderful memories of him.God bless him. May he rest in peace.
@cat 11 Much of what supermarket tabloids said about Robert Reed in the early 1990s was fictitious. They said he died of AIDS. Not true. Mr. Reed died following a six-month battle with colon cancer, and he happened to be HIV-positive. An infection did not cause his death. Colon cancer did. HIV does not cause colon cancer. HIV causes infections.
Thank you for saying this Brenda. Robert really was an awesome actor and so very handsome. I actually think he was a beautiful man. I being a man myself grew up loving the Brady Bunch even though it ended 3 years before I was born. You see I was born in 1977 and of course the show ended in 1974. I like some of my cousins and other family members who weren't born until after the show ended originally became fans of the show and even though it basically was reruns to everybody else it was brand new to those of us who had never seen it before. I loved basically everybody on the show but Robert was the main reason I loved watching the show. I even have a photo album dedicated to him. I hope one day when I die and go to heaven in 50 or so years that I see him and I am in fact going to ask if he'll be my dad up in heaven permanently
His personal life is just that, personal and doesn't need to be spread all over on a RU-vid video, Every episode of the brady bunch teached us a life lesson, may this great actor rip.
No matter what he did, no matter how he did it, he will always be, to my grown up self and my little self, the ultimate dad. RIP Mr. Reed. You made so many people happy.
@@FactsVerse I thank you for asking, but I meant the dad on " The Brady Bunch". I am sorry if it wasn't clear. But it is because of Robert Reed's Mike Brady that I learned that men could be patient, that they didn't always respond with belt and unkind words. Mike Brady lived in a house full of laughter, love, and the kind of discipline that made his children better people, not nervous or scared. And yes, he was a written character but there was something about the way he played his role where it wasn't a role but an embodiment. For a half hour a week I got to be a Brady. And in all my years I have not seen another TV dad bring the qualities he had to their TV "dadness". And I hope he knew, at some point, that he had made an impact.
He was a very kind man. I met him and was very kind and he did not sign his autograph my book but told me that he would have to sign for everyone. But, he was very kind and gentle. Not like the slobs in Hollywood today.
Most people didn't really care back then anymore than they care today. The problem was those in charge of casting were concerned about appearances and perception. Somehow, they thought that an audience could believe the unbelievable in movies but would be unable to suspend their disbelief around an actors sexual orientation. Apparently to them it was easier to believe in men from mars than that a gay man could play a straight man and be believable..... Hey, no one ever said they were smart.....
My all-time favorite Television father is Robert Reed! In 1969 I entered Pacoima Junior High School and as the years went by, I watched as the kids grew up as I did and I had such a deep respect for Robert Reed as an actor. I just wished I had a Dad like Mr. Brady! He was the coolest! He was America's Dad! R.I.P. JOHN ROBERT "ROBERT REED" RIETZ JR.
That's right he was a very good actor being gay was not something he needed to feel bad about. I don't like the way the title made it seem like he was a bad person.
Excellent response. Short and to the point. Sometimes I feel bad for Reed in that he got trapped in a role that he didn't really care for. But he made Mike Brady's character his and his alone.
I agree his personal life was his business but he was a good actor loved watching the Brady bunch and i do have all seasons of the Brady bunch we love Robert Reed
For Real, Why is it people think they need to know about someone's private life, why is it an Issue ? I Could Careless about what he did at home, he was a great actor.
@@Themanwhocameback2 He wan'ted a sex change and was a doctor on staff in Medical Center. It was truly ground breaking in the mid 70s. I give him a lot of credit for taking the challenging role. On a personal note; the video talks little about his personal gay life. Did he have any lovers.? I think in today's world he would be married and be a husband & father with a guy.
I loved watching The Brady Bunch in the 70's every day after coming home from school. Robert Reed was a terrific actor and person. After he died and it was revealed that he was gay it didn't change my opinion of him!!
@Megaros Being gay ended an actor’s career? Then why didn’t Charles Nelson Reilly’s career end while he was filming an episode of the children’s show Lidsville or the child-friendly sitcom The Ghost and Mrs. Muir? Mr. Reilly was a lot more effeminate than Mr. Robert Reed. Mr. Reilly never portrayed a man who was married or had a girlfriend. He got steady work as an actor and a director until he became terminally ill many, many years later. How did homophobia damage his career or threaten to end it? Same with Mr. Reed. Where was the adversity that some bloggers and social media historians sometimes mention? You know who really couldn’t get decent work on nationally seen TV comedy shows in 1970? Black actors. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir never put a black person on the screen. Lidsville never did. The Brady Bunch did once : a kid who befriends an Asian kid and a white kid and they call themselves “the three musketeers.” They had very few interactions with the Brady kids. None of the “musketeers” appeared again in a sitcom. Mr. Robert Reed was lucky he wasn’t born black.
Only, if it would have gotten into the mainstream. Hollywood, always has had a way of closing ranks around it's own. Unless you do something, really bad.
@@gbrown932 Charles Nelson Reilly. He was effeminate onscreen. That never stopped television executives from giving him work. His career lasted several decades. That means if Mr. Reed were afraid of unemployment, it was not because of him being a closeted gay person.
You forgot to mention he portrayed a sex change patient on Medical centre, it was quite ground breaking for it's time. The sad truth that even in 2021 if an actor comes totally out, his career could take a nose dive unless he is an established character on a series.
I remember when Robert Reed was on Medical Center. And he played a person who wanted a sex change operation. That was in the late 60's or early 70's. What a fantastic actor Robert Reed was. May he rest in peace.
I remember when Robert Reed was on Medical Center. He played a person who wanted a sex change patient. Great actor. Rest in peace. Robert Reed.. I still remember him as Mike Brady.
I grew up watching the Brady Bunch I loved the show I never missed an episode, when I was growing up we didn’t talk about someone’s sexual orientation, he was the all American father on a TV show responsible, honest, trustworthy a good husband and father. You would have thought they were a real family they came on every Friday night at 8:00pm on ABC followed by the Partridge Family at 8:30.
Mike Brady was America’s best dad! Also, the ‘Father Knows Best’ dad, Jim Anderson. He was a fair dad, and took the time to explain the many situations of life to his children.
Nope uncle phil was ! I never liked Bill Cosby as a dad on television and Mr Brady was too un real , him being gay really didn't matter to me ,but everybody has their personal favorite
A gifted actor and flawed human, just like all of us. He lived with his sexuality with dignity and respect, and he got that back with those that loved him. Sure things would have been different for him in today's culture of acceptance and tolerance, but as with Rock Hudson it would have been a career killer. R.I.P.
I know every Brady Bunch episode like the back of my hand. I always fantisized about being the seventh child. Robert Reed will always be my fantasy father. RIP
Didn't know about the drinking problem (that explains A LOT) Larry Hagman and many others had this problem & would lash out! I still loved his character Mike Brady. I think his "stubbornness" made his character more "honest" Also he liked doing drama. The TV character he felt was "beneath" his talent/ability.
@@OneSeasonMan I agree - I wonder how he got along with Alice, Ann B Davis since she was fairly religious. Unfortunately many "religious" people think they have a hot line with God and try to tell others how to live their lives.
@W D Mr. Reed made a public statement in which he revealed he addressed Ms. Ann B. Davis as “Annie” and she addressed him as “Bob.” There is no evidence to suggest that his difficult relationship with Mr. Sherwood Schwartz may have put a damper on his working relationship with Ms. Davis. There is evidence she supported Ms. Anita Bryant’s anti-gay activities, but there is no evidence that her possible knowledge of Mr. Reed’s erotic fantasies may have caused trouble when they worked together.
Here's the thing, we all have secrets. It makes us who we are. Total honesty is definitely not the best answer in every case. Live your life, do your best. And always and without fail, be grateful for Gods grace.
I don't think he would have succeeded had he come out back then. It was bad enough to have those rumors going around. Put it all together, it's no surprise that he was an alcoholic. Pity, very talented man.
@Greg Pickett Mr. Brando fathered several children with a variety of women. That could have been why no one cared about his extramarital affairs. His major talent as an actor explains why he was never subpoenaed to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee despite his close involvement with progressive political activists such as Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez.
@@kathrynfauble9053 I am aware of all that, but it doesn't negate the fact that Marlon knew to keep his bisexuality under wraps because it would not have been accepted in his day.
I think his life and career would've been the same regardless he was adored by many of his fans and co-star. Never knew he was married or had a daughter! Wow just when you think you know everything leave it to you guys to give us fans more juicy tid-bits. Thanks Facts Verse I learned a lot more than just what I heard.
He and I were guests at a Mardi Gras party in New Orleans around 1973. It was an all-male event. He sat in the corner the whole time without talking to a soul.
I get the impression that he was an artiste (or thought of himself that way) whose best-known work was as merely a painter. He wanted to play Shakespeare, but played Schwartz instead. It's sad, really. He was immensely talented.
Robert Reed was a great actor. Although he was stereocast in The Brady Bunch he did have other talents and appeared in several other shows. The Brady Bunch served as an example of great family interactions and problems real families encounter and how they solve those issues. The entire cast fit together. I can't think of any other cast that would have worked out better. Florence and Robert were the perfect mom and dad. It's still a great show on cable today.
Well that definitely explains his struggles with alcohol and anger. Must have been near devastating at times to be famous for the man he portrayed as opposed to the man he truly was. God rest his soul.
If it would have been revealed back then that he was gay he would have not been cast in other shows being gay back then was unheard of today anything goes in Hollywood
Even today it’s not 100% accepted. Look how long it takes some ppl to be comfortable enough to come out. We are slightly better than in the 70’s but nit much.
@@armpitification And so are minorities hunny.Most of the ones that judge are conservative stuck up luke warm christians with there own issues that are darker than one can imagine just look what's happening in america today.
@@armpitification Not much had changed? Are you kidding me??? Ever since gay marriage was ratified by the supreme court, just about every tv show has a gay/lesbian character on it. The tv show Empire had a lead gay character and constantly profiled LGBTQ issues on the show. The L Word discussed the issues of lesbians. There are more gays,lesbians,and transgenders are on the front screen and behind the cameras.Hollywood in the 1970's and Hollywood now is like night and day.
@@alexander2685 christians aren't stuck up nor have the issues that you are claiming. Gays are just mad because christians remind society what has already been written thousands of years ago, in the holy word, regarding sin. They didn't write the bible, but they study and interpret. They are not bible thumpers. Whenever someone says that, they are extremely guilty of the exact descriptions given in the bible. There is plenty of truth and light, and it scares those who live in darkness.
@enie hugie Mr. Reed never said he suffered emotionally because of the boundary between his career and his private life that he maintained. Without him saying that, you don’t know the causes of his personal problems. Please stop using him for an agenda and leave him alone.
@@kathrynfauble9053 Hey, did any of you ever consider that maybe, just MAYBE, the man just liked to drink? Nothing wrong with that, unless you can't handle it. (BTW: I can't, but I still like to drink, when I can. (and I currently CAN't)) :-(
As to the narrator asking if Reed coming out would have affected his career and his personal life, WHAT DO YOU THINK??? It was the 1960's and 1970's. That stuff was VERY taboo back then. He would've gotten ran out of town if he came out. Not saying that's right but that's the way it was back then.
Robert Reed was a talented actor and a great Man. He was Masculine and a great father figure. I learned a lot from that show. I'm sorry he had a battle with his sexual orientation, most likely contributed to his drinking, (what a shame).. but coming out back then, I believe, would have caused him havoc at that time, especially with the Brady Bunch, so he did the right thing, did a phenomenal job, was loved & appreciated by many!! I'm kind of glad I didn't know as a kid but today he's still Topps in my book!! Rest in Peace Robert!!!
Look, the man is long gone now. I am convinced that he would be most upset if this privacy was invaded by all the hints of his true orientation. He had his own reasons that he did not want the private life comingle with the professional one - he was an actor by trade. He probably felt it was no one's business but his own to know who he really was. He also came across as quite reserved and somewhat shy. It could be he just could not face discussing his drinking or his sexual orientation to the 'strangers' of the outside world. He did good work and let's leave it at that. Let's give him some peace! RIP, Mr. Reed!
Each is their own. His sexual preference shouldn't be anyone's buisness. The problem with today's society is we're judged by how we look, dress, attitudes, ect, ect. The way I remember Michael Reed is he was a phenomenal actor. RIP Michael Reed!🙏💯
I had the honor of meeting him while he was a patient at the Huntington hospital in pasadena.. in fact I was the last person he spoke to before he passed away that day.. very sad indeed..
You forgot one significant screen credit, of Robert Reed. He got co-billing (along with Richard Crenna, with a couple of others) in the Julie Andrews (unfortunate flop) bio-pic, "Star!" in 1967... A story based on the life of Gertrude Lawrence!
Exactly, I never knew sulu was gay untill it came out, remember Huel houser he was gay also , I didn't know until he died , my friend who works for David Geffen told me he knew huel was gay he said Mr Geffen's floor polisher told him because he is gay also just like Mr Geffen and Paul Mr Geffens butler is gay too!
3:25 The Brady Bunch, during its original run, never got big ratings. It never placed in the top thirty shows, for example. It did take off when it went into syndication and brought strong ratings at that time. The same thing happened with the original Star Trek series.
I was in elemtary and early high school at the time and absolutely no one I knew watched "The Brady Buch". "The Partridge Family", yes. The Bradys, no. It was cutesy and boring.
Most of this information is well known. There’s additional information about his life this video didn’t disclose. Handsome charming man but that perm was not a good look for him.
I remember as a kid seeing the 80s reruns...i noticed he had nice trimmed hair in the early seasons and later went curly. Not sure why as a kid that got my attention and why he never kept the nice trimmed style..oh well.
His hair was always curly. He would have it straightened prior to filming the early episodes. When they were filming the Hawaii episodes, the humidity kept curling his hair so they decided to just let his hair remain curly for the rest of the show's run.
Robert loved those kids. He even took them on vacations with him and bought each of them an 8mm movie camera. However, being gay, he was very uncomfortable with the romantic scenes with Carol. He hid it very well. No one had a clue that he was gay until his death.
5:22 The guy who Reed got into an argument with about the smell of strawberries was Sherwood Schwartz, the creator and producer of The Brady Bunch. I'd hardly refer to Schwartz as just "a crew member".
Robert was a man of principle. He refused to appear in the episode in which Alice leaves because the kids are giving her the cold shoulder after she inadvertently got them into trouble when their mother questioned her about things that had gone wrong in the house because of their carelessness. Robert later said that neither the kids nor Alice would ever go that far due to their love for each other, and he was right. The strange thing is that Mike Brady was never even mentioned in that episode, and he was the one who hired Alice, and knew her the longest!
@@nassauguy48 It was a waste to exercise artistic principles on a show that was pure schlock. Reed should have cashed his check and done theater during the off season.
Well, in the early 1970s, Paul Lynde was cast in a show where he was a husband and father. I ADORED his humor, but he was SO flamboyant that it seemed to me an inside joke. Everyone knew he was gay, but ignored it. It was a time when you knew about orientation, but it was taboo to talk about it. :(
I didn't know anything about gay back than growing up Mennonite is something we didn't talk about so I don't understand it much . but I loved this show a lot
When they were shooting the pilot for the Brady Bunch, Florence Henderson sensed he was very uncomfortable and tense in the romantic scenes they had to do and she casually said to Sherwood Schwartz "You think he might be gay?" and Schwartz' immediate reaction was "What? Well if he is, I'll fire him!" and horrified, Henderson immediately said, "Oh, I'm sure I'm wrong. I think he just needs a little extra rehearsal. I'll work with him." and well, you know the rest.
Has anyone ever heard of an early 1980's group called Troubled Funk? They pour out one album titled Drop The Bomb, and I once heard that Robert Reed was the leader of that group.
Robert Reed is not the first gay man to have ever been married and have children. it happens more than you think. My brother was in that situation. I admire him for finally doing the right thing for his wife and children and himself.He has a Great relationship with his ex wife and the kids grew up fine, she remarried RIP Mike Brady
@Peter Palmer Ruinous? Then why didn’t Charles Nelson Reilly’s career end while he was filming an episode of the children’s show Lidsville or the child-friendly sitcom The Ghost and Mrs. Muir? Mr. Reilly was a lot more effeminate than Mr. Robert Reed. Mr. Reilly never portrayed a man who was married or had a girlfriend. He got steady work as an actor and a director until he became terminally ill many, many years later. How did homophobia damage his career or threaten to end it? Same with Mr. Reed. Where was the adversity that some bloggers and social media historians sometimes mention? You know who really couldn’t get decent work on nationally seen TV comedy shows in 1970? Black actors. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir never put a black person on the screen. Lidsville never did. The Brady Bunch did once : a kid who befriends an Asian kid and a white kid and they call themselves “the three musketeers.” They had very few interactions with the Brady kids. None of the “musketeers” appeared again in a sitcom. Mr. Robert Reed was lucky he wasn’t born black.
At 1:15 where he's surrounded by 4 girls and 2 guys the girls should all have speech bubbles above their heads asking "Why doesn't he like me?" and the boys should have one saying "I know why".
