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After The Brady Bunch, Barry Williams refused to do auditions, and it taught him a valuable lesson
Being rebellious as a teen is one thing, but for Barry Williams, this stage in life affected his career in his mid-20s.
While many teens experience life and can make mistakes and learn from them, child stars are treated as if they can't. If they do, critics and the media call them "rebellious" or "out of control." Barry Williams, primarily known as Greg Brady in The Brady Bunch, didn't get a chance to act like a teenager until he was in his twenties.
In an interview with the Associated Press in 1988, Williams said he didn't have time to rebel when he was a teenager because of his status at the time. "When you've only got one childhood, you don't know if you're missing a normal one or not," he revealed. "I think being a teenager is a fate akin to illness. It's a very difficult period, any way you cut it."
Williams added that his problems started a little later. He said, "In my own life, I found that I went through my own teenage rebellion in my mid-20s, because I had to be so serious and responsible as a teenager. I didn't have time to rebel."
Being rebellious included a lot of personal decisions, and for Williams, that affected his career. He was already typecast in the industry because of The Brady Bunch, but to make matters worse, the actor didn't want to audition for roles because he felt like his previous credits were enough to secure a part in a production.
"I didn't understand why I had to audition," the actor said. "After all, I had credits [and had been working for a long time.] It's a very arrogant attitude, ludicrous in this business. I was back on the proving block again, and I didn't feel that I was supposed to prove myself."
Williams was able to get a few roles here and there, but he needed more to survive. He borrowed money and even sold his house. "I was dipping into the well."
When he realized how much this mindset affected his career, the actor knew it was time for a change. "What I did was change my attitude. I came to realize that refusing to audition was kind of an excuse for not really putting myself back on the line."
Williams decided not to use The Brady Bunch for or against him, it was just a credit, and he was starting over.
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