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"I'll always be Jan Brady to so many people. I can't escape it, but I can do other things." Eve Plumb became a household name in the 1970s during the five-year run of The Brady Bunch. Often viewed as the most relatable of the Brady sisters, her character was usually in the shadow of her pretty and popular older sister, Marcia. Much in the same way, Eve Plumb has spent much of career in the shadow of Jan. Still, she's maintained her positive attitude and a presence in the industry over the past few decades. 

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Anyone who's ever seen an episode of The Brady Bunch is familiar with the plight of middle child Jan Brady. What's the actress who portrayed her been up to since her "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" days? Here's a closer look at the life and career of television icon Eve Plumb. 

Becoming a Brady

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Eve Aline Plumb was born on April 29th, 1958 in Burbank, California. Her parents were Neely and Flora Plumb, a recording company executive and dancer, respectively. Plumb started acting in television commercials at a young age and has said of her path to child stardom, "It just happened. A children's agent moved next door to me when I was a kid and I got a commercial, then I kept getting more."

The commercials led to spots on TV programs including The Virginian, The Big Valley, Lassie, It Takes a Thief, Family Affair, and Gunsmoke. Plumb got her big break in 1969, however, when she landed the part of Jan Brady on the ABC sitcom, The Brady Bunch. 

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Jan Brady's featured storylines addressed her many insecurities about everything from her appearance to not having a boyfriend to jealousy toward her sister. Her famous line, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" went on to become an oft-uttered pop culture quote. The Brady Bunch ran until 1974. During that time, Plumb also voiced the role of Jan on The Brady Kids, a Saturday morning cartoon that ran from 1972 to 1973.

After its cancellation, the Brady Bunch went into syndication, where it enjoyed even greater success. It has continued to be on television and in the movies ever since, both in syndicated returns as well as in several other spin-offs, specials, parodies, and even feature films. The Brady Bunch kids weren't just actors; they were also singers, and the cast, including Plumb, put out several albums together. 

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However, when the Brady Bunch cast reunited in 1976 for the variety show, The Brady Bunch Hour, Plumb was the only original cast member who opted out. While rumors flew that she no longer wanted to be affiliated with the franchise, Plumb has said that while she wanted to do the show, she could not commit to the five-year contract. Her replacement, Geri Reischl, earned the nickname, "fake Jan." 

Plumb did return to the role of Jan in 1981 for the NBC television movie, The Brady Girls Get Married, which led to a short-lived sitcom co-starring Maureen McCormick. Called The Brady Brides, it chronicled the married lives of Jan and Marcia. Plumb made several other appearances as Jan Brady, including on A Very Brady Christmas and The Bradys. She's also been on several television shows reminiscing about the Brady Bunch years, including the E True Hollywood Story: The Brady Bunch, the Rosie O'Donnell Show, and The Brady Bunch 35th Anniversary Reunion Special: Still Brady After All These Years. 

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Beyond the Brady Bunch

While Plumb enjoyed great success as Jan Brady, she struggled to find her career footing after it ended.  In her first notable role after The Brady Bunch, Plumb played against type as a teenage prostitute in the NBC's 1976 television movie Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway. Prior to landing Dawn, Plumb had difficulty finding work. While she continued to audition, she also enjoyed cheerleading in high school, and was even her school's homecoming queen. Of her hopes for a comeback with the movie, Plumb said, "Now I'm ready to resume my career, and I think Dawn can be the springboard." 

Plumb has credited her parents with keeping her level-headed and free of the scandals encountered by many other young celebrities.  "I had so much success as a child, but once you age out of being the cute kid, then what? If you're not ready for it, it can be very difficult."

And despite the challenges with finding work, Plumb had no regrets about her time on The Brady Bunch. "I don't think the character of Jan typecast me, and the show was a lot of fun. We got to travel and meet a lot of people," she said. At the time of that interview, however, she was not in contact with any of her former cast members. 

Plumb's other early post-Brady appearances included Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn, Little Women, Here's Lucy, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Wonder Woman, One Day at a Time, The Facts of Life and All My Children. Over the years, she continued to work in television, stage and feature films although never again found the fame she'd experienced as Jan Brady. 

In addition to acting, Plumb has explored other creative outlets, such as painting and lithography. "With acting, you have to wait for somebody to call you, then you have to wait to see if they like you, and a lot of times they don't. With painting, I love the control. I get to choose it all: When I do it, how it's presented. It's mine. By the time I put a painting on the wall, it's out of my hands. If people like it, fine; if they don't, that's fine, too," she said. 

Plumb has contributed her artistic talents to the makeup crew at Laguna Beach's famous Pageant of the Masters. She also lists horseback riding as a hobby. 

Recently, Plumb made news when she sold the Malibu home she'd bought for $55,300 at the age of 11 while working on Brady Bunch for a whopping $3.9 million after decades of ownership. Again, her parents were instrumental to this accomplishment. Said Plumb, "My father ran my career and invested my money very well. My mother was with me on set every day. They never took a cent from me!"

While Plumb's career might have stalled after The Brady Bunch, she'll forever be lionized for her work on the show. In fact, she claimed a spot on vh1's 2005 roundup of 100 Greatest Kid Stars. Her fame also inspired the naming of 90's alternative rock band, "Eve's Plum." And while Plumb is now in her 60s, she not quite ready to leave Hollywood behind just yet. She recently told Closer, "I will audition for anything! Whatever comes my way!"