Susan Olsen is opening up about her experience working on The Brady Brunch and the storyline that was inspired by her real life.
The 63-year-old actress famously played Cindy Brady on the hit sitcom when she was a young girl, and according to a statement made at a recent panel, Cindy’s notable lisp was a very real issue that Olsen struggled with off screen.
🎬SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬
While recently making an appearance at The Chocolate Expo at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, Olsen was asked about her character’s signature lisp, which was something that the show focused on.
“It was real,” Olsen confirmed at the event, according to PEOPLE. She also added that her lisp gave the kids at school “more ammo to tease me with.”
Olsen, who appeared on the panel alongside former co-stars Christopher Knight (Peter Brady), Mike Lookinland (Bobby Brady) and Barry Williams (Greg Brady), explained that she eventually took classes to help with her speech.
“I only went to the ‘S’ class because there was a cute guy,” she quipped, according to PEOPLE‘s report.
And while Olsen said the lisp cost her a role at one point, she ended up making noticeable progress to remedy the issue, though she learned it would never completely go away.
“I can hear it on the radio and podcasts and stuff. Because to me, every time I say an ‘S,’ it sounds like something is crashing,” Olsen said. “So I’m still a bit self-conscious about it.”
