Many people have wondered if Susan Olsen, the actress who played Cindy Brady on the popular sitcom The Brady Bunch, is related to Drew Barrymore, the star of movies like E.T., Charlie’s Angels, and 50 First Dates. The rumor has been circulating for years, but is there any truth to it? Let’s find out.
Who is Susan Olsen?
Susan Olsen is an American actress and former radio host who was born on August 14, 1961, in Santa Monica, California. She is the youngest of four children and her brother Christopher was also a child actor who appeared in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Olsen started her acting career at a young age and landed supporting roles in shows like Ironside, Gunsmoke, and Julia. She also appeared in the Elvis Presley movie The Trouble With Girls (1968) as a singer in a contest
However, Olsen is best known for her role as Cindy Brady, the youngest and most innocent of the Brady children on The Brady Bunch. She played the character from 1969 to 1974 and reprised it in several reunion movies and spin-offs, except for A Very Brady Christmas (1988), which she missed because she was on her honeymoon
Olsen has said that portraying Cindy made friendships difficult for her as a child and that she was often teased for being a tattletale. She also had to overcome a real-life lisp that added to her character’s cuteness
As an adult, Olsen moved into graphic design and radio hosting. She also briefly marketed a brand of glow-in-the-dark shoes for Converse in 1998
In 2005, VH1 ranked her No. 34 in The 100 Greatest Kid Stars of television and film In 2007, she and her fellow cast members were honored with the TV Pop Culture Award on the TV Land Awards
Who is Drew Barrymore?
Drew Barrymore is an American actress, producer, director, model, and author who was born on February 22, 1975, in Culver City, California. She is the granddaughter of John Barrymore, a legendary actor of stage and screen, and the daughter of John Drew Barrymore, another actor who struggled with substance abuse and legal issues
Barrymore started her acting career at a very young age and became a household name after starring as Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), directed by Steven Spielberg. She then appeared in several other movies as a child star, such as Firestarter (1984), Irreconcilable Differences (1984), and Cat’s Eye (1985)
However, Barrymore also faced personal challenges as a young celebrity and dealt with drug addiction, rehab, emancipation from her parents, and two failed marriages before she turned 20. She later wrote about her experiences in her autobiography Little Girl Lost (1990)
Barrymore managed to revive her career in the late 1990s and early 2000s with roles in romantic comedies like The Wedding Singer (1998), Never Been Kissed (1999), Charlie’s Angels (2000), and 50 First Dates (2004). She also ventured into producing with her own company Flower Films and directing with Whip It (2009) and Music and Lyrics (2007)
Barrymore has won several awards for her work, including a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA nomination. She has also been involved in humanitarian causes and has been named an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme
As of July 2023, Drew Barrymore’s net worth is estimated to be $125 million
Are They Related?
The short answer is no. Susan Olsen and Drew Barrymore are not related by blood or by marriage.
The rumor may have started because of their physical resemblance as blonde-haired child stars or because of their similar career trajectories as former kid actors who faced challenges growing up in the spotlight.
However, there is no evidence that they share any common ancestors or that they have ever met or interacted with each other.
The only connection they have is that they both appeared on the same episode of Gunsmoke in 1968, but they did not share any scenes together. Olsen played one of the children of Abelia Johnson (played by Jacqueline Scott), while Barrymore played one of the children of Lottie Farnum (played by Louise Latham)
So, there you have it. Susan Olsen and Drew Barrymore are not related and the rumor is just that – a rumor. They are both talented and successful actresses in their own right, but they have nothing to do with each other.