Biography - Susan Olsen

Who is Susan Olsen?

Susan Olsen is an actress, singer, former radio host by profession, and American by nationality. She is well known for starring in The Brady Bunch as Cindy Brady and in HGTV’s A Very Brady Renovation.

Susan Olsen – Age, Parents, Siblings

Susan Olsen’s birth took place on August 14, 1961, in Santa Monica, California, USA. She was born Susan Marie Olsen to her mother DeLoice Olsen and her father Lawrence Olsen. 

She is not the only child of her parents and has three siblings- older brothers Larry Olsen, Christopher Olsen (a child actor), and older sister Diane Olsen.

Education, Ethnicity

For education, Susan Olsen attended Taft High School. After graduation, she went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Her ethnicity is multi-ethnic (Norwegian, English, German, Irish).

Susan Olsen – Boyfriend, Husband, Children, Divorce

She married her boyfriend Steve Ventimiglia in August 1988. However, just after two years of marriage, the couple divorced, which was finalized in 1990.

Susan Olsen married her second husband Mitch Markwell on 14 August 1995. The pair welcomed their son Michael Markwell on August 8, 1996. However, this marriage did not last and the couple divorced on 5 March 2004. Michael was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism.

According to Heavy, Currently, she is married to comedian Chris “Crazy Legs” Fonseca. The couple had married in 2009 and had first met while both performed at Loonee’s Comedy Corner in Colorado. 

Susan Olsen – Controversy, Rumors

In the late 1990s, it was rumored that Olsen had become an adult film star. She explained that the rumors were because she had created spaceship sound effects for an adult film Love Probe from a Warm Planet, as a favor for a friend who worked in the technical aspect. Also, the star in the adult film Crocodile Blondee looked very much like and was rumored to be her. 

She had also been confused with actress Anissa Jones. Following Jones’ death by suicide, fans thought Olsen was dead.

In December 2016 Susan Olsen was fired from her radio show Two Chicks Talkin' Politics on LA Talk Radio. She had engaged in a feud with openly gay actor Leon Acord-Whiting, who had commented on her while on another station. In response, she had extensively ranted against him while accusing him of cowardice. 

Acord-Whiting, in turn, accused her of homophobia and successfully got her fired.

Susan Olsen – Career

Early Career

Having started her career at a very early age, Susan Olsen’s beginning roles are in the TV series Ironside (1968), Gunsmoke (1968-1969), and in films The Trouble with Girls (1969). Finally, in 1969, Olsen was cast in the TV series The Brady Bunch as Cindy Brady. She portrayed the character for the entire show, until 1974.

Films, Series

After her breakthrough role, Susan Olsen has portrayed characters in the films The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Mama Claus, Deck the Halls with Guts (2009), etc. 

She also acted in TV series The Brady Kids (1972-1973), The Brady Bunch Hour (1976-1977), The Brady Brides (1981), The Bradys (1990), The Young and the Restless (2010), A Very Brady Renovation (2019).

Others

In her adult years, Olsen moved into the graphic design business, working in it for 10 years. 

She also worked for the radio station KLSX as a talk show host from 1995 to 1996. She released the coffee table book Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour on September 1, 2009. 

Moreover, Susan Olsen was the creator of Marshmallow Fluff-inspired art and is an animal welfare advocate.

Co-stars

On A Very Brady Renovation, Olsen starred alongside Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Mike Lookinland, and Karen E. Laine.

Susan Olsen – Net Worth, Salary

Her net worth has been estimated to be around $2 million while the figure on her annual salary is under review.

Susan Olsen – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

On social media handles such as Instagram, Susan Olsen is active with over 13.5k followers but is absent from Twitter and Facebook. Fan accounts have also been set in her name.