Photos Of The Brady Bunch's Maureen McCormick That Showcase Peak '90s Beauty
"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" Considering how long it's been since that phrase first entered the cultural zeitgeist, you can't help but wonder what "The Brady Bunch" actor Maureen McCormick, Marcia herself, is doing now. Well, McCormick spent decades trying to convince Hollywood — and the larger world — that she could embody more than just Marcia Brady, America's relentlessly perfect teenage daughter.
Was she successful? That depends on how you define success. Though McCormick never found a role that was nearly as notable as Marcia Brady, she continued to be a working actor throughout her life, unlike many once-popular child stars who completely vanished. Granted, the years after "The Brady Bunch" weren't always positive, and she fell into the same unfortunate issues as many child actors.
McCormick married Michael Cummings in 1985 and had a daughter on May 19, 1989, and by the time the 1990s rolled around, things started to look brighter. That decade essentially handed McCormick and the tragic details that had defined much of her teenage years a chance at retelling the story, and the photos that survive form that time are the proof. Photos from the '90s often have soft lighting and makeup, and people weren't trying so hard to chase whatever the algorithm of the moment demanded. McCormick fit that image perfectly. In fact, here are photos of her throughout that unforgettable decade which prove the point better than any argument could.
McCormick stuns at a Star Trek premiere, of all places
It's fascinating to see just how much a different hairstyle can change a face. In this November 1996 appearance in Los Angeles, California, for the premiere event of "Star Trek: First Contact," gone was the center-parted Marcia curtain that had defined Maureen McCormick's image for years, giving its place to a blown-out bob that came down to her chin. Paired with the blue satin shirt and the black pea coat, not to mention the bare makeup that highlighted her lived-in features, McCormick looked like a model who could walk a runway with the best of them.
The unguarded smile that belonged to the 1990s
By the end of the '90s, Maureen McCormick's aesthetic had settled into the kind of grown-woman gloss that was so popular during the decade. She kept her hair short, with the ends flicked outward in a perfect Rachel flip that was all the rage back then. Her skin looks natural but lightly tanned in the pic, and her face is holding a smile that reaches her eyes unapologetically. Underneath, a white blouse and a black blazer pull the whole fit together, giving off that specific late-'90s working-woman polish.
The night Marcia Brady wore a pink ribbon choker
On December 8, 1997, Maureen McCormick showed up to the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Hotel looking like the polar opposite of her "Brady Bunch" character. Her hair was piled into a messy bun, with tendrils escaping in every direction. The makeup was darker and smokier, and the entire ensemble looked like a deliberate rejection of everything ABC had ever asked her to be. In fairness, 1997 was the same year she played Barbara Mandrell in the CBS biopic "Get to the Heart," so McCormick had every incentive to look her age and then some.
A coordinated appearance in LA that highlighted McCormick's timeless beauty
For the premiere of "Studio 54" in 1998, Maureen McCormick arrived in a strapless, navy floor-length dress made of velvet. It was paired with slides that had blue floral bows, matching the pattern on her purse. If there was ever an image of '90s beauty — comfortable, relaxed, radiant, and beaming with the kind of careless joy that Hollywood ever so reluctantly allows, lest the illusion break — this was it. McCormick's smile in 1998 was huge and easy, but more importantly, entirely her own.
This November 1995 fit was as elegant as it gets
This is the Maureen McCormick of June 1995, when she was a few weeks into the press cycle for her debut album, "When You Get a Little Lonely," which was released on April 4 of that year. The year prior, McCormick was gracing the Broadway stage as Rizzo in "Grease." Suffice it to say, she had a lot going on, and her outfit for the 22nd Annual RP International Vision Awards reflected that with the kind of quiet elegance that only works when you have a naturally gorgeous face to carry it.
The 1997 TCA appearance that captured every great trend from the '90s
McCormick turned up at the CBS Summer TCA Press Tour at the Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena on July 16, 1997, in a sleeveless periwinkle knee-length dress with open-toe mules and a floral shoulder bag. Now, if that weren't enough, McCormick paired the fit with a voluminous updo that pretty much screams the late '90s — and in fact, the late '90s done properly — for anyone watching now. Her makeup also stuck to the era's signature looks, with a touch of warmth on the cheeks and softly colored lips that complemented her skin tone.
A charity walk that looks iconic to this day
In this photo, taken in November 1996 at the "Children at Play" for LA Battered Women's Shelters, not only is Maureen McCormick gorgeous with her minimal makeup, but the sweater knotted around her shoulders is a style that is still relevant and hasn't aged a single day in almost three decades. It's safe to say that all "The Brady Bunch" kids look different today, but McCormick's style feels surprisingly current, while simultaneously projecting that image of easy beauty and grace that belongs to a time before filters, ring lights, and social media optimization techniques became the norm.