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Ann B. Davis loved to dust on the set of The Brady Bunch
Ann B. Davis never wanted to play a leading lady on 'The Brady Bunch,' she was content with dusting.
Ann B. Davis was everyone's favorite housekeeper for a total of 117 episodes of The Brady Bunch. She played the iconic and relatable role of Alice Nelson. Although her role as a housekeeper doesn't sound the most glamorous, she preferred it that way.
In a 1971 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Davis said she never wanted to be a leading lady in a series, she would much rather make an impact in a small part.
"I like what I do," she began. "Ingenue parts are the worst parts in the world. Besides, do you know how much fun it is to dust the furniture and find a way to make people interested? It's very difficult to hold their attention until the stars come out."
So there Davis was: doing dishes, stirring pots, dusting furniture and just waiting for The Bradys to get home.
"I used to insist on spaghetti, but then I decided nobody cares what I'm stirring," she said.
According to the interview, Davis got her start in acting through The Bob Cummings Show, where she spent four years playing the popular character, 'Schultzy.'
"I couldn't get jobs and I had to make a living," she said. "I was living off an old kill. I was being hired as Schultzy. People came to see it, but it was terrible."
Thankfully, The Brady Bunch was right around the corner for Davis.
In a 1972 interview with St. Cloud Times, Davis talked about what made her character as Alice so likeable, even with other family members to compete with.
"I guess kids find it easier to identify with Alice than anybody else in the household," she said.
Maybe it was Alice's ability to always keep the Brady clan in line and working together, or maybe it was her way of always being able to turn on the charm in any situation. Fans of Davis still relate to her character today.
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