Florence Henderson (born February 14, 1934 in Dale, Indiana as one of 10 children in a Roman Catholic tobacco farmer's household) is an American actress and singer best known for playing the role of "Carol Brady" in the television program The Brady Bunch, which ran from 1969 to 1974.
Florence Henderson graduated from St. Francis Academy in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1951; shortly thereafter, she went to New York City, enrolling in the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Henderson started her career on the stage, performing in musicals, such as the touring production of Oklahoma! and South Pacific at Lincoln Center. She debuted on Broadway in Wish You Were Here in 1952, and later starred in such notable shows as Fanny (1954), and The Girl Who Came to Supper (1963). In 1962 she won the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theatre.
Her most widely seen role was as Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch which was produced from 1969 until 1974. A worldwide success, it continues to be screened in many countries through syndication.
Henderson was also the spokeswoman for Wesson cooking oil, from 1976 to 1996. During that time, she hosted a cooking show on TNN called Country Kitchen. Today, she is the spokeswoman for Polident denture cleanser (although she does not wear dentures herself). In 2003, Henderson seemed to poke fun at her wholesome image by appearing in a Pepsi Twist television commercial with Ozzy Osbourne.
She is the mother of four children, none of whom have entered show business. Henderson has also appeared with her TV children whenever the opportunity comes about. For instance, she appeared on the reality-television series My Fair Brady starring Christopher Knight. She is also in the sixth season of VH1's Surreal Life.
