The ’70s show, which aired from 1969 to 1974, was known for its big-name guest stars.

Brady Bunch actress reveals her favorite guest star and how they left an impression

The '70s show, which aired from 1969 to 1974, was known for its big-name guest stars.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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June 10, 2026 11:57 p.m. ET

The cast of 'The Brady Bunch' in 1973. Credit:

Courtesy Everett Collection

- Susan Olsen, who played youngest daughter Cindy on *The Brady Bunch* for all five of its seasons, said she was "fascinated" with comedy legend Imogene Coca.

- Coca played Aunt Jenny in 1972 episode "Jan's Aunt Jenny."

- The actress also worked with the likes of Desi Arnaz Jr., Davy Jones, and Joe Namath on the sitcom.

Susan Olsen, who played youngest daughter Cindy on all five seasons of the *The Brady Bunch*, will always remember Imogene Coca.

"I knew a lot of classic TV stuff," Olsen, 64, told *ReMIND* at the Hollywood Show. "I wasn't that familiar with her, but it was really amazing to me that she was so shy, and then she had a hard time rehearsing. Then once the cameras were on, just changed, went right into the performance. I was fascinated with her."

Susan Olsen; Imogene Coca.

Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty; Getty

Olsen deemed Coca her favorite guest star from the ABC show about the marriage between Robert Reed's Mike and "lovely" Carol Brady (Florence Henderson), who each had three kids: his sons Greg (Barry Williams), Peter (Christopher Knight), and Bobby (Mike Lookinland) and her Marcia (Maureen McCormick), Jan (Eve Plumb), and Cindy. Mike also brought his housekeeper, Alice, played by Ann B. Davis, into the marriage.

Coca played the character of Aunt Jenny in season 3's "Jan's Aunt Jenny" in 1972. The premise was that Jan (Eve Plumb) found a photo of her great-aunt pictured when she was young and looked a lot like Jan. But Jan was distraught when the adult version of her relative looked old, because she thought she would grow up to look similarly.

What Jan learned over the course of the episode, though — there's always a lesson with the Bradys! — is that Aunt Jenny was a hoot, no matter what she looked like.

'Brady Bunch' star Susan Olsen knew Cindy was stupid: 'It was something I had to accept'

'Brady Bunch' star Eve Plumb says no one would admit to watching the show: 'Everybody sort of looked down on it'

Olsen was about 10 when she worked with Coca, who was already an accomplished actress in her 60s. She was best known for working with Sid Caesar on hit 1950's TV series,* Your Show of Shows*, which costarred Carl Reiner and featured future comedy stars including Gilda Radner and Carol Burnett.

In 1952, she won the Emmy Award for Best Actress. She had been nominated for and lost the award for Best Comedian Or Comedienne to Red Skelton and then Lucille Ball.

Olsen further recalled that the funny lady had been "sweet enough" to send the cast Christmas cards.

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She was "special," Olsen recalled.

Coca died June 2, 2001, at age 92.

Olsen, who's gone on to appear in multiple *Brady Bunch *reunion projects, also spoke highly of guest stars Desi Arnaz Jr., Davy Jones, and Joe Namath.

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Source: “EW Comedy”