The famous child star Eve Plumb, from the hit series “The Brady Bunch,” made a public appearance at an event in New York. The 65-year-old unexpectedly became famous at a young age and struggled to land acting roles as she got older. But she started a career as a painter.
Eve Plumb, also known as Jan Brady from the famous show, “The Brady Bunch,” was a famous child star and is now 65.
Looking back at the beginning of her acting career, Plumb never intended on getting famous young, but she lived next door to a child agent who eventually got her into the industry.
She started doing commercials, and from there, landed roles in TV shows. Plumb appeared in “The Big Valley,” “Lassie,” and then “The Brady Buch,” which was her breakthrough role.
Plumb was one of the most famous child actors, but she admitted getting acting jobs started to get difficult the older she got. “But once you age out of being the cute kid, what? If you’re not ready for it, it can be very difficult,” she expressed.
Luckily for the actress, she had a sound support system that helped avoid some of the traps child stars tend to fall into. Plumb said her father ran her career, and her mother was always with her on set.
For every penny she earned, her parents either invested or saved for her. “They never took a cent from me!” she said. When “The Brady Bunch” ended in 1974, landing roles was not easy, but “I will audition for anything,” she recalled.
Although Plumb has long moved on from “The Brady Bunch” and reinvented herself, she understands that she will always be Jan Brady for many of her fans. But she wants them to know she can do other things too.
Eve Plumb on “The Brady Bunch” in 1972 | Source: Getty Images
The only significant role the actress landed after the hit sitcom ended was a teenage prostitute in “Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway” in 1976.
But in the 1990s, Plumb started painting and crafting her career as an artist. She worked at a studio in Laguna Beach.
Since becoming an artist, Plumb began to appreciate the kind of control she had over her work. With acting, she had to wait for someone to call her, then get them to like her before getting the job, and there was no guarantee she would be liked.
But with her painting, she gets to shape it and add her identity. By the time someone sees it, she’s already left her mark, and whether they like it or not doesn’t matter.
One of Plumb’s great investments from her child star money was a beach house she bought in Malibu. She purchased the home when she was just 11 years old for $55,300.
The bungalow-style home has three bedrooms and 1.75 bathrooms. Though the decor is slightly out of style, the white wood still gives it a tropical feel. But the best part is the easy access to the beach and the beautiful views around it.
Eve’s Charming Love Story with Ken Pace
Plumb was the first of “The Brady Bunch” kids to get married. She tied the knot in 1979 with Rick Mansfield, but their marriage was short-lived and ended in 1981.
After her divorce, she vowed to take her time dating people before moving to marriage. She told her friends to set her up with people, but not that she was looking to get married; she just wanted a stable relationship.
The actress followed her mother’s advice, which was to re-evaluate a relationship after three months and decide if it was worth investing in.
Little did she know the next man she dated had his own rules. Ken Pace, a business consultant, would not consider marriage until he knew a person for at least a year.
The actress liked the idea, thinking it was a good way for them to get to know each other and their family better. That rule seemed to have worked because Plum and Pace eventually got married in 1995, and they’ve been together ever since.
Ironically, the couple’s first date held a special meaning, as it was telling of things to come. The venue of their first date was a coffee shop, and the two have since turned their love for coffee and cafes into a tradition. They still bond over a cup of freshly brewed coffee today.
Pace and Plumb also traveled across America and abroad to explore the best cafes and coffee blends. With each adventure, the actress took a picture and brought it to life with an oil painting.
More importantly, their love for coffee inspired their business venture, PlumbGoods, a brand that sells a variety of things, including bags, wallets, and coffee mugs.
But Plumb aimed to build her PlumbGoods brand further so she launched a coffee brand with her husband and called it Happiness Included Coffee.
The actress said they have always loved Scottie and terrier breeds, so their coffee blends are named after various terriers they have seen during their travels. They’ve also owned a one-eyed terrier mix for almost two decades.
A few years back, Plumb landed a role on a Broadway production with no end date, so she and her husband rented out their house and moved to New York.
The adventurous couple has no children, but during an interview, Plumb said if she ever had children, she would adopt one, believing many older children are looking for homes.
How Does Eve Plumb Look at 65?
Although Plumb has not been acting for a while, she publicly appeared at the “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” event in New York.
The actress wore a pink button-up shirt with slacks and pair of Converse sneakers. She finished the look with a white striped blazer, a pink diamond necklace, and a gold watch.
Plumb attended the event with her husband who wore a black suit with a turtle neck under his jacket. She shared a picture from the event on Instagram, expressing how much fun she had, and fans were stunned at how young and beautiful she still looked.
“Is it possible to keep looking better each year” gushed a netizen. Another fan complemented her short blonde hair, while many others told Plumb she looked great.
Facebook users also shared the same sentiments. One fan sweetly commented, “You really look truly phenomenal,” and another added, “Eve, you never age.”
Plumb’s fame from “The Brady Bunch” never died out. Fans are still happy to see her through her various transitions in life.
