ABC/Getty Barry Williams; The Brady Bunch cast
Another Brady has joined “Dancing With the Stars.”
On September 13, 2023 ABC announced the full cast for the upcoming season of the celebrity ballroom competition, and “Brady Bunch” star Barry Williams was confirmed to be on the list. The actor, now 68, will partner with pro dancer Peta Murgatroyd for the 32nd edition of the ABC dance-off, which also includes celebrity contestants Mira Sorvino, Ariana Madix, Tyson Beckford, and more.
On September 12, Williams posted his DWTS cast photo on Twitter with the caption, “It’s official! I will be dancing my way into your hearts on #DWTS.” He also tagged Murgatroyd as he shared the exciting news.
Hours after his casting was announced, Williams received sweet support from his “Brady Bunch” co-star, Maureen McCormick.
Here’s what you need to know:
Maureen McCormick Reacted to Barry Williams’ DWTS News on Instagram
Williams is not the first “Brady Bunch” alum to join DWTS. In 2010, his TV mom Florence Henderson competed for the mirrorball trophy with pro partner Corky Ballas by her side. And in 2016, Williams’ co-star, Maureen McCormick, was also on the show. McCormick, who played Marcia Brady on the classic ABC sitcom, was partnered with Artem Chigvintsev on DWTS and was eliminated sixth in season 23.
On Instagram, McCormick commented on Williams’ DWTS cast announcement with three heart emoji. “❤️❤️❤️,” she wrote to her TV brother. She also posted a heart emoji on Williams’ Twitter page after he shared the news.
Hours before the DWTS season 32 premiere, McCormick shared a throwback of her and Williams performing together and wearing Brady-worthy outfits. “Wishing the loveliest fellow all the best tonight on @dancingwiththestars !!! Goooooo Barry!!! @thebarrywilliams 🕺🏻🌟❤️xoxo,” she wrote.
“Brady Bunch” fans were also excited by the casting news. “Florence and Maureen will be very happy you’re following in their footsteps I’m excited for you,” one fan wrote to Williams.
Others noted that all of Williams’ “Brady Bunch Variety Hour” moves from the 1970s will pay off now. And others posted references to “The Brady Bunch,” including a plea for Williams to dance to his sitcom hit, “Sunshine Day.”
“You still have this dance move in your arsenal – you got this,” one fan captioned a clip from a “Brady Bunch” song and dance performance.
“Can’t wait for Johnny Bravo 😂❤️🔥,” another fan wrote in a nod to Williams’ rock star alter ego from the show.
“Mom always said don’t play Mirrorball in the house,” another wrote in a play on a famous line from the ’70s sitcom
“DO NOT WEAR THE TIKI NECKLACE,” another warned, in reference to the bad luck Williams’ character Greg received when he wore an idol necklace in the sitcom’s famous Hawaii episodes.
Barry Williams Said He Was ‘Declined’ From DWTS in the Past
Williams’ “Dancing with the Stars” news was a long time coming. In 2008, the actor told The Denver Post he had never been asked to join the TV dancing show, but that he had pitched himself as a potential contestant.
“I have not been asked,” he said at the time. “I have been declined a couple of times. I put it out there.”
Williams, who has worked as a singer and stage performer since his “Brady Bunch” days, said he felt he was a good fit for “Dancing With the Stars.”
“I think I’m perfect for the show,” he told the Post. “I think I’m a lot better known than most of the people on that show. And I’d have a ball doing it. I think part of it is the producer is from England, and our show (The Brady Bunch) did not play much over there. So, he sort of doesn’t get the following for the Brady thing.”
Williams elaborated more than a decade later in an interview with MeTV. At the time, Williams revealed he had never been asked to appear on the ‘70s series “The Love Boat,” which featured rotating celebrity guests.
“I just don’t know what the story is!” Williams said in 2019. “But I’m clear that somebody there had it in for me. I don’t know what it is. I just speculated, maybe I offended someone, somewhere – I don’t know!”
“That same person, by the way, must be working over at ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” he added, noting that he had been trying to get himself cast on the show “since the second season,” which aired in 2006.
While it took him 32 seasons to score a chance at the mirrorball trophy, in 2022, Williams and his “Brady Bunch” brothers Christopher Knight and Mike Lookinland competed in the eighth season of “The Masked Singer.” The trio performed as mummies but were eliminated on “TV Theme Night.”
READ NEXT: DWTS Fan Favorite Completes Risky Stunt at Age 63