Eve Plumb is best-known for playing Jan Brady on The Brady Brunch. However, it has been multiple decades since that time, so it should come as no surprise to learn that she has since taken on a wide range of roles both inside and outside of acting. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Eve Plumb:
1. Born in Burbank, CA
Plumb was born in Burbank, which is one of the cities that make up the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Some people might be familiar with its self-proclaimed nickname of the Media Capital of the World. Something that is boastful but not wholly baseless, seeing as how numerous entertainment companies are either headquartered or have a significant presence in Burbank. Examples include Disney, Warner Bros. Entertainment, and Nickelodeon Animation Studios.
2. Was a Child Actor
Since Plumb played the part of the middle child on The Brady Bunch, it should come as no surprise to learn that she started acting when she was still at a very young age. To be exact, she was at the age of just 7 when she started appearing in commercials. After which, Plumb played a number of roles in a number of productions before she was chosen for the show that made her famous.
3. Was a Part of The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch wasn’t just the TV show. For example, Plumb and the other cast members who played the Brady kids recorded a number of albums because several of the episodes featured them singing for one reason or another. Likewise, Plumb provided the voice for Jan Brady in The Brady Kids, which was a Saturday morning cartoon that started up in 1972 and continued until 1973.
4. Has Never Been Off of the TV Screen
Due to The Brady Brunch, it can be said that Plumb has never been off of the TV screen since that time. This is curious because the show wasn’t particularly notable for being either a critical success or a commercial success on its initial run. However, The Brady Brunch proved to be a huge hit when it went into syndication, so much so that an episode of the show has been broadcast somewhere in either the United States or beyond on every single day in every single year. Said success is what prompted the making of several reunions as well as several spin-offs.
5. Real Jan Rather Than Fake Jan
It is interesting to note that Plumb can be considered the “real Jan” rather than the “fake Jan” when it comes to The Brady Brunch. In short, what happened was that the success of the syndication brought about the launch of a variety show called The Brady Bunch Hour. Out of the entire cast, Plumb was the sole individual who refused to make a return, which is why she had to be replaced by Geri Reischl in her role as Jan Brady. At the time, there was much fuss over Plumb’s choice, thus resulting in accusations that she no longer wanted to be associated with the show. However, she maintained that while she was willing to do the special episode that kicked the whole thing off, she couldn’t commit to a five-year option for additional shows.
6. There Was an Alt Rock Band Named After Her
At one point in time, there was a New York City-based alt rock band called Eve’s Plum that was apparently named after Plumb. Supposedly, this happened because one of the band members was in Eve’s circle of friends. As for Eve’s Plum, it is interesting to note that it was fronted by Colleen Fitzpatrick, who went on to find more commercial success under the stage name Vitamin C following the band’s breakup in 1997.
7. Is a Painter
Besides her acting as well as her singing, Plumb has been known to paint as well. To be exact, she has been painting for more than two decades, with the result that some of her paintings have been featured at galleries situated throughout the United States.
8. Played Dawn in Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway
One of Plumb’s most notable roles was the eponymous character in Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway. In part, this was because the role was more than a bit controversial, seeing as how the character was a teenager forced to become a prostitute to support herself. Still, the TV movie met with enough success that it produced a follow-up called Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn.
9. Played Beth March in Little Women
Speaking of which, Plumb played the part of Beth March in the 1978 miniseries Little Women, which was based on the classic novel of the same name. Those who have read the book will know that Beth March is the March sister who falls ill from scarlet fever, which weakens her constitution to such an extent that she dies in the story. Something that has a profound impact on the other March sisters, not least because it is the main loss in Little Women. Curiously, Plumb played not one but two characters in Little Women, with the second character being a cousin called Lissa who was introduced after her first character had already died.
10. Had Her New York City Stage Debut in 2010
Besides being a veteran of the TV screen, Plumb has been known to show up in movies as well, which is something that has continued into the present time. On top of this, she had her very first role on the New York City theatre stage in 2010 with a production called Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating and Marriage. Since that time, Plumb has shown up in more roles in more stage productions, with examples including both Love, Loss, and What I Wore and Same Time, Next Year.
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