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This actor was deemed too hot to play Mike Brady in The Brady Bunch
It's the age-old question: How hot can a dad be?
The public's perception is that usually, the better looking you are, the easier your life is. Obviously, every rule has its exceptions, and no one is immune to bad luck, but it seems that for many attractive people, there are more doors open, and more opportunities to take advantage of.
However, maybe we all shouldn't be so quick to wish for good looks in the hopes that it'll give us an advantage because beauty can sometimes be a curse. Just ask Jeffrey Hunter.
According to the book, Bradymania! Everything You Always Wanted to Know and a Few Things You Probably Didn't by Elizabeth Moran, Brady Bunch creator Sherwood Schwartz's first choice to play Mike Brady was actor Gene Hackman. However, Hackman was axed by the studio, Paramount. At the time, Hackman was a relatively unknown actor and didn't have any experience with a television series.
However, a year after Paramount vetoed the actor, Hackman starred in the hit film, The French Connection, so he seemed to get the last laugh.
Next up for consideration was Jeffrey Hunter. Hunter was known as the original Captain Christopher Pike of Star Trek, a role that was later recast. Moreover, Hunter was also incredibly interested in playing the character. There was one catch: He was just too good-looking.
"He was too handsome," said creator Sherwood Schwartz. "I said to him, 'The guy on this show is an architect, not a model or an actor.' And he said, 'Look at my face! I'm getting wrinkles around my eyes! I'm getting lines in my face!"
Hunter was rejected for the role and unfortunately passed away a short time later. In the end, Schwartz decided on Robert Reed, who became the Mike Brady that viewers know and love today.
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