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Early life

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{{Short description|American actress}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Susan Olsen
| image = SusanOlsen.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Olsen in 2009
| birth_name = Susan Marie Olsen
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age |1961|8|14}}
| birth_place = [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], California, U.S.
| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|radio personality}}
| years_active = 1968–present
| spouse =
}}
'''Susan Marie Olsen''' (born August 14, 1961) is an American actress and former radio host. Olsen is known for her role as [[List of The Brady Bunch characters#Cindy Brady|Cindy Brady]], the youngest Brady child in the sitcom ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'' for the full run of the show, from 1969 to 1974.

==Early life==
Olsen was born in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], [[California]], to Lawrence and DeLoice Olsen, the youngest of four children.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Moran |first1=Elizabeth |title=Bradymania: Everything You Always Wanted to Know and a Few Things You Probably Didn't |date=1995 |publisher= Adams Media |isbn=1558504184 |page=107 |edition= 25th Anniversary |chapter=The Cast, Then and Now |quote=Susan Marie Olsen, the youngest of the Brady clan, is also the youngest of the Olsen clan. Born in Santa Monica, California, on August 14, 1961, to Lawrence and DeLoice ("Dee") Olsen…}}</ref> Her siblings are: Larry (23 years older), [[Christopher Olsen (actor)|Christopher]] (15 years older), and Diane (5 years older). Christopher was also a child actor whose most prominent role may be in the 1956 feature film ''[[The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film)|The Man Who Knew Too Much]]'' (1956). Susan Olsen really did have a lisp. That feature was real, and Olsen worked hard to overcome the speech impediment throughout her life. Olsen's role as the youngest Brady followed her after she left the series, and she was often teased for portraying the sometimes-annoying character.

==Acting career==

=== Early roles and ''The Brady Bunch'' ===
Olsen landed a number of supporting roles in television, most notably in ''[[Ironside (TV series)|Ironside]]'', ''[[Gunsmoke]]'', and ''[[Julia (American TV series)|Julia]]'', and appeared in the [[Elvis Presley]] movie ''[[The Trouble with Girls (film)|The Trouble With Girls]]'' (1968) as a squeaky-clean singer in a singing contest.[[file:The Brady Bunch Susan Olsen 1973.jpg|thumb|Olsen as Cindy Brady, the youngest of ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'']]
At just under age eight, Olsen was cast as [[Cindy Brady]] on ''[[The Brady Bunch]]''. As an adult, Olsen has said that portraying Cindy made friendships difficult for her as a child. She most disliked the season two "tattletale" episode, in which Cindy incessantly [[tattle]]s on her siblings. Because of the episode, she was shunned by real-life peers, who did not understand the difference between actors and their characters.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} Olsen has appeared in all ''Brady Bunch'' reunion movies with the exception of ''[[A Very Brady Christmas]]'' (1988), which was filmed when she and her first husband Steve Ventimiglia were on their [[honeymoon]]. In that movie, Cindy Brady was played by actress [[Jennifer Runyon]]. Olsen reprised her role as Cindy Brady in the short-lived CBS spin-off series ''[[The Bradys]]''.

In 2005, [[VH1]] ranked her No. 34 in ''The 100 Greatest Kid Stars'' of television and film.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vh1-names-gary-coleman-the-greatest-kid-star-54607837.html |title= VH1 Names Gary Coleman the Greatest Kid Star | date= June 9, 2005| website= PRNewswire.com| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101129190824/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vh1-names-gary-coleman-the-greatest-kid-star-54607837.html| archive-date= November 29, 2010 | access-date= June 30, 2020}}</ref> In 2007, Olsen and her fellow cast members were honored with the TV Pop Culture Award on the [[TV Land Awards]], one of the few awards ''The Brady Bunch'' has ever won.

As a teen, Olsen was the spokesgirl for [[Sindy]] doll, made by [[Marx Toys]] from the mid-1970s. As an adult, Olsen moved into the [[graphic design]] business and in 1998 briefly marketed a brand of glow-in-the-dark shoes for [[Converse (shoe company)|Converse]]. She also worked as a [[talk radio|talk show host]] at the Los Angeles radio station [[KNX-FM|KLSX]] from 1995 to 1996 with [[Ken Ober]], and co-hosted and co-wrote another radio show with comedian [[Allan Havey]] at Comedy World in 2000.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

=== After ''The Brady Bunch'' ===
She appeared in episode 26 of [[Cartoon Network]]'s talk show ''[[Space Ghost Coast to Coast]]'', "Switcheroo", with [[Cassandra Peterson]] as "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark". Olsen has also been an advocate for [[migraine]] sufferers since 1998. She described her headaches on ''[[Larry King Live]]''.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

An [[urban legend]] claimed that Olsen had become an [[adult film]] star. In a late 1990s television interview, Olsen stated that her "porn" connection was that she created space ship sound effects for a porn film called ''Love Probe from a Warm Planet''.<ref>{{cite tweet| user= susanolsen888| first= Susan| last= Olsen| number= 278932667674800129 | date= December 12, 2012| title= I've always loved the porn rumor. I actually did contribute to the sound track of 'Love Probe From a Warm Planet'| access-date= June 30, 2020}}</ref>

In the fall of 2008, Olsen appeared on [[Fox Reality]]'s ''Gimme My Reality Show'', in which celebrities compete to win their own reality show. She used this vehicle to make a statement about animal rescue, a cause with which she is thoroughly involved. On June 6, 2009, Olsen thanked retired game show host and animal rights activist [[Bob Barker]] when The Bradys accepted an honor at the GSN Awards. An animal welfare advocate, she has served on the board of directors of the nonprofit organization [[Precious Paws]], a rescue group.{{cn|date= June 2020}}

On September 1, 2009, Olsen released the [[coffee table book]] ''[[Love to Love You Bradys|Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour]]'' that celebrates the 1976–77 television variety show ''[[The Brady Bunch Hour]]''. {{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In September 2010, Olsen made a guest appearance on ''[[The Young and the Restless]]'' playing Mrs. Liza Morton, the owner of a preschool. In 2011, she appeared in season 3, episode 43 of [[The Biography Channel]]'s reality show ''[[Celebrity Ghost Stories]]''. {{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In July 2012, Olsen was one of a limited number of artists and celebrities invited to show their work in ''Art with an Agenda: An Exhibit Inspired by Kelly Thomas'' at the PAS Gallery in [[Fullerton, California]].<ref>{{cite web|date=July 6, 2012|title=Art with an Agenda – Inspired by Kelly Thomas|url=http://www.2pas.org/art/past-exhibits/art-with-an-agenda-inspired-by-kelly-thomas/|access-date=August 12, 2012|website=2PAS.org}}</ref> inspired by the life and circumstances surrounding the [[death of Kelly Thomas]], a homeless, [[schizophrenia|schizophrenic]], 37-year-old man who was beaten by members of the [[Fullerton Police Department]] on July 5, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bose|first=Lilledeshan|date=June 27, 2012|title=Art with an Agenda: An Exhibit Inspired by Kelly Thomas|url=http://www.kcet.org/arts/artbound/counties/orange/justice-for-kelly-art-show.html|access-date=August 12, 2012|website=[[KCET]].org}}</ref> Olsen's piece, "Still Life," showed a half-eaten donut in a puddle of blood beside a lit flashlight.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ponsi|first=Lou|date=June 30, 2012|title=Kelly Thomas' life, death are focus of graphic exhibit|url=http://www.ocregister.com/news/thomas-361336-kelly-officers.html|access-date=August 12, 2012|website=ocregister.com}}</ref>

In December 2016, Olsen was fired from her radio show, "Two Chicks Talkin' Politics" on LA Talk Radio, after engaging in a feud with openly gay actor [[Leon Acord-Whiting]]. Responding to comments Acord-Whiting had made about her on another station, Olsen unleashed a profane rant against him, accusing him of cowardice. Acord-Whiting accused Olsen of [[homophobia]] for the remarks (which included repeated use of the word "[[faggot (slang)|faggot]]") and successfully lobbied to have Olsen fired.<ref name="dailynews">{{cite web | url= http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/actress-susan-olsen-fired-radio-show-homophobic-rant-article-1.2906173 | title='Brady Bunch' actress Susan Olsen fired from L.A. radio show hosting gig after homophobic rant | work=Daily News | date=December 10, 2016 | access-date=December 10, 2016 | author=Bitette, Nicole}}</ref><ref name="usmagazine">{{cite web | url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/brady-bunchs-susan-olsen-fired-as-radio-host-after-homophobic-rant-w455079 | title=Brady Bunch's Susan Olsen fired as radio host after homophobic rant | work= [[US Magazine]] | date=December 10, 2016 | access-date=December 10, 2016 | last= Hautman| first= Nicolas}}</ref>
Olsen told Fox News in 2019 that she has "been the subject of fake news" and "never got fired."<ref name="foxnews">{{cite web | url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/susan-olsen-a-very-brady-bunch-renovation-trump-radio | title=Susan Olsen talks 'A Very Brady Bunch Renovation,' says voting for Trump got her in trouble on radio show | work= [[Fox News]] | date=September 9, 2019 | access-date=January 18, 2021 | last= Nolasco| first= Stephanie}}</ref>

Olsen joined with the other surviving main cast members of ''The Brady Bunch'' in the 2019 television series ''[[A Very Brady Renovation]]'' on [[HGTV]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Lee, Luaine|title=Bradys go 'home' again for HGTV|work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=September 8, 2019|page=A&E 4}}</ref> In 2021, she starred in the [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]] Christmas movie, ''Blending Christmas'', alongside her ''Brady Bunch'' co-stars [[Christopher Knight (actor)|Christopher Knight]], [[Mike Lookinland]], [[Barry Williams (actor)|Barry Williams]], and [[Robbie Rist]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jones|first=Marcus|date=2021-05-19|title=Lifetime reunites High School Musical, Brady Bunch stars for holiday movies|url=https://ew.com/tv/lifetime-holiday-movies-reunite-high-school-musical-brady-bunch-stars/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-22|website=Entertainment Weekly|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1969
|''{{sortname|The|Trouble with Girls|The Trouble with Girls (film)}}''
|Auditioning Singer
|
|-
|1995
|''{{sortname|The|Brady Bunch Movie}}''
|Reporter for ''The Daily Tattler''
|Scenes deleted
|-
|2009
|''Zombo''
|Frumpy Woman
|Short
|-
|2015
|''Mama Claus, Deck the Halls with Guts''
|Mama Claus
|
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1968
|''[[Ironside (1967 TV series)|Ironside]]''
|Tracy Richards
|"Barbara Who"
|-
|1968
|''[[Julia (American TV series)|Julia]]''
|Pamela
|"Paint Your Waggedorn"
|-
|1968–69
|''[[Gunsmoke]]''
|Marianne Johnson
|"Abelia", "A Man Called 'Smith'"
|-
|1969–1974
|''{{sortname|The|Brady Bunch}}''
|[[List of The Brady Bunch characters#Cindy Brady|Cindy Brady]]
|Main role
|-
|1970
|''{{sortname|The|Boy Who Stole the Elephant}}''
|Lucy Owens
|Disney TV film
|-
|1972
|''{{sortname|The|ABC Saturday Superstar Movie}}''
|Cindy Brady (voice)
|"The Brady Kids on Mysterious Island"
|-
|1972–73
|''{{sortname|The|Brady Kids}}''
|Cindy Brady (voice)
|Main role
|-
|1976–77
|''{{sortname|The|Brady Bunch Hour}}''
|Cindy Brady
|Main role
|-
|1981
|''{{sortname|The|Brady Brides|The_Brady_Bunch#The_Brady_Girls_Get_Married_/_The_Brady_Brides}}''
|Cindy Brady
|Regular role

|-
|1990
|''{{sortname|The|Bradys}}''
|Cindy Brady
|Main role
|-
|1999
|''[[Pacific Blue (TV series)|Pacific Blue]]''
|Cindy Russell
|"Stargazer"
|-
|2010
|''{{sortname|The|Young and the Restless}}''
|Liza Morton
|2 episodes
|-
|2012
|''{{sortname|The|Great Halloween Puppy Adventure|nolink=1}}''
|Rachel
|TV film
|-
|2013
|''Holiday Road Trip''
|Edna
|TV film
|-
|2013–2016
|''Child of the '70s''
|Nickel Laundry
|TV series
|-
|2019
|''[[A Very Brady Renovation]]''
|Susan Olsen
|TV series
|-
|2021
|''[[Dragging the Classics: The Brady Bunch]]''
|Margie
|[[Paramount Plus]] TV special
|-
|2021
|''Blending Christmas''
|Valerie
|TV film
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.susanolsen.net/ Official website]
* {{IMDb name|0001582}}
* {{cite web| url= http://www.frankmurphy.com/2009/08/youngest-one-in-curls.html | date= August 29, 2009| title= youngest one in curls| website= frankmurphy.com| first= Susan | last= Olsen| interviewer= Frank Murphy| access-date= June 30, 2020}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olsen, Susan}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Actresses from Santa Monica, California]]
[[Category:American child actresses]]
[[Category:American radio personalities]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American voice actresses]]
[[Category:William Howard Taft Charter High School alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]

Susan Olsen - Revision history

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2603:6000:AC00:AB76:943A:6D4D:D5E1:E76A: /* Early life */