Brady Bunch star Christopher Knight, 67, is revealing how being cast as Mike Brady’s (Robert Reed) second eldest son, Peter Brady, impacted his family.
People magazine reported that Knight spoke about his time on The Brady Bunch, which was on the air for five years until 1974, during the June 9 episode of his podcast, The Brady Bros., co-hosted by his on-screen brother, Barry Williams. Knight said he was able to help his family with his Brady Bunch paycheck during his childhood. Knight said his parents, Edward and Wilma Knight, would have gone down a different path if he had not been cast on the beloved family sitcom.
“I just think it gave us the resources to pay the rent. I do believe that my folks would have not existed much longer. I mean it would have gotten to that point. And there would have been all kinds of drift. Drifting where, I don’t know,” said Knight during the podcast episode.
Williams, who played Peter’s eldest brother Greg Brady, then said he believed Knight having to be a source of financial support for his parents during his teenage years was “a burden.”
People magazine reported that Knight mentioned his dynamic with his parents in a November 2024 interview on the I Choose Me with Jennie Garth podcast. He said while the show had a positive impact on his life, he didn’t want to act during his childhood. He also said he didn’t believe children shouldn’t be financially responsible for their parents.
“And isn’t that your parents’ job to work, not you?” said Knight during the November 2024 podcast interview.
Knight made similar comments about working as a child actor during an August 2013 interview on the Oprah Winfrey Network. He said that his father, who was a stage actor, and his mother, who was an artist, were “highly educated,” but “nearly homeless” when he was a child. According to Knight, his father suggested feeding him and his brother, Mark Knight, “every other day” to save money.
“I think that’s when my mom realized there may be a problem,” said Knight with a laugh.
Knight also said that his mother decided to have him become a professional actor as a way to survive.
