There’s a good reason for Reed’s insolent persona (actually, does anything ever truly give validation for arrogance?). Robert Reed wanted the show to go his way. He was a very trained actor who had studied for one term at the reputable Royal Academy of Dramatic Art London.
Before appearing on television, he acted in Shakespeare plays. He then moved to L.A. to pursue his acting career and got started with a guest appearance on ‘Father Knows Best’. His first television role was in ‘The Defenders’.
Reed the Instigator
There were several other scenes that Robert felt to be ridiculous and refused to be associated with. During the scene in which characters got into a silent food fight with pie, Reed was very upfront with Schwartz, as he usually was.
He told Reed that the silent pie fight was ludicrous and the Brady Bunch wasn’t meant to be a silent film.
Dad of the Year
Although Robert Reed was impudent with Sherwood Schwartz and their relationship was anything but cordial, Reed’s acting abilities shone through in his parental role on-screen. His talent garnered him the ranking as the 14th greatest TV dads of all time by TV Guide in 2004.
Ahead of him on the list? Cliff Huxtable from 'The Cosby Show', Howard Cunningham from 'Happy Days', and Steve Douglas from 'My Three Sons'.
Against the Odds
Despite Florence Henderson’s performance as Carol, a multi-faceted and uber-talented woman who seems to keep the family functioning smoothly while keeping up with her own hobbies and work, her background is, you could say, rather different. Henderson comes from a very poor family and was the youngest of 10 children.
Fortunately for her, she had a headstrong mother who despite all odds and the battle with an alcoholic husband, managed to give her children as good a life as possible and encourage them to be successful. Florence often credited her professional success to her mother.
Stuck in the Closet
Robert Reed was gay, however, he didn’t disclose his sexuality in fear of it ruining his career. Although it wasn’t discussed between him and fellow cast members, most of the cast and crew of The Brady Bunch knew. Florence Henderson commented on Reed’s hidden secret: "Here he was, the perfect father of this wonderful little family, a perfect husband. Off-camera, he was an unhappy person - I think had Bob not been forced to live this double life, I think it would have dissipated a lot of that anger and frustration. I never asked him. I never challenged him. I had a lot of compassion for him because I knew how he was suffering with keeping this secret."
Reed was unwilling to come to terms with his sexuality and this resentment often led him to self-deprecate and have mental breakdowns. After having unprotected sex with men, Reed contracted HIV. He died in 1992 from complications of AIDS. Although initially, it was believed that Reeds died from colon cancer, his death certificate revealed that he was HIV positive.