Actress Florence Henderson was born on February 14, 1934 in Dale, Indiana. She was one of ten children birthed to a homemaker and a tobacco sharecropper. She was raised Catholic.

Not long after graduating from St. Francis Academy in Kentucky Henderson moved to New York City and enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She graduated a few years later, and while still in the academy was performing on stage for musicals the likes of Oklahoma! and South Pacific. She made her Broadway debut in 1952 with Wish You Were Here, and then later starred in Fanny and The Girl Who Came To Supper. She also became the first woman to host The Johnny Carson Show, and became noted for her proficiency in performing skit comedy – talent that made Henderson a shoe-in for appearing frequently on the Dean Martin variety show. It was during this time, in 1956, that Henderson married Ira Bernstein, and they had four children together – however they divorced in 1985, after 29 years.

Henderson met her big break on television in 1968, however, when she was cast as Carol Brady on the long-running television family comedy The Brady Bunch. It was an international success, running from 1968 to 1974 – however, the show was not a true success until after it was cancelled, enduring in syndication for decades (and, indeed, it’s still on the air today). She has since been ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Television Icons by Entertainment Weekly magazine. She has also appeared in a number of attempted Brady spin-offs and television movies. During her tenure as a Brady Henderson was also a frequent attendee of Hollywood Squares.

Possibly because she was recognizable as a mother thanks to The Brady Bunch Henderson was made the spokeswoman for Wesson cooking oil, a role she kept between 1976 and 1996. She also had her own cooking show, Country Kitchen, and did ads for Prange’s. She is currently the spokeswoman for Polident denture cleanser despite not wearing dentures herself, and for RainSoft Water Treatment Systems.

Not long after divorcing from Ira Bernstein Henderson married John Kappas, a hypnotherapist who had helped her battle depression in the 1980’s. Henderson studied hypnotherapy, possibly thanks to his influence, and is now a licensed hypnotherapist in her own right. Kappas has since died, however, in 2002.

Henderson is also noted for her voice – a given considering she used to appear in musicals – and is a regular on the condominium circuit in the United States. She’s also a regular at the Indianapolis 500, singing “God Bless America” at the opening of the Indianapolis almost every year since the mid-1990’s. And, finally, Henderson made a guest appearance in the Weird All Yankovic video to his song “Amish Paradise” as an Amish woman, though she didn’t get a singing role in this case.

Henderson maintains ties with her Brady cast mates and has appeared alongside them several times over the years since the end of the show.