Brady Bunch Appearance (2002)

Ashley Drane (Eckstein) Born: September 22nd Appeared as Jan Brady in Brady Bunch in the White House

Current Photograph

Questions:
How long have you been acting?

I have been acting now for eight years. When I was 12 I played the role of Helen Keller in a community theatre production of The Miracle Worker, in Orlando, FL. Ever since then all I've wanted to do is act. I continued to do theatre, as well as, television and commercials in Orlando. I came to LA just about a year ago and am truly loving it! I played the role of Admiral Chegwidden's goddaughter, Lisa Rossbach, on JAG before landing the role of Jan Brady.

Additionally, what are your long-term goals related to acting?

I don't want to limit myself to anything. I want to continue to do both comedic and dramatic roles for TV and film. I am also interested in all of the other aspects of the entertainment industry. We are working on packaging a teen talk show at the moment that I would host. I also love sports, especially baseball, so I am trying to do some sports reporting, as well. Eventually, I would love to produce and direct my own projects too!

Are you currently in college or planning to attend college?

I'm not in college at the moment but I plan on attending college in the future.

Were you a fan of the Brady Bunch prior to auditioning for this role?

Yes, I always watched the reruns on Nick at Night, and I found myself one time last summer glued to the TV all day long watching the Brady Bunch marathon on TV Land. I was also a big fan of the first two feature films.

What research did you do to prepare for your role as Jan Brady (i.e. watch the original show, the theatrical movies, talk with Eve Plumb, etc.)?

I watched both of the movies during the audition process, but once I got the role I just watched the old episodes. Jennifer Elise Cox did such a wonderful job as Jan that I did not want to copy her performance. Therefore, I studied Eve Plumb and created my own interpretation of Jan. Of course there are going to be several things that Jennifer and I did the same but I tried to add some new things, as well.

Tell us about your experience in working on this movie?

I actually have a funny story of how I got the part as Jan. I heard that they were making another Brady Bunch movie before I ever moved to LA. I was sitting at home in Memphis flipping through channels, and as I flipped to E! News Daily I heard them say that the Brady's were going to Washington and that they were getting ready to go into casting for another Brady movie. I knew that I had to audition so I called Paramount to inquire about the movie and they told me that they had not heard anything about it. Three weeks later I came out to LA, got an agent and there was still no word about a Brady movie. Finally, five months later they began casting for The Brady Bunch in the White House and I could not get an audition! They didn't think that I looked like a Brady. Finally, a month later, they were still casting and decided to give me a shot to read for Marcia. I went in and read for the casting director and she said that I was too young for Marcia but asked if I would read for Jan. Six auditions later I got the part.

I had the time of my life making this movie! Everyone was so cool and I made several lifetime friends!

Do you foresee other Brady Bunch projects in the near future and will you be reprising your role as Jan?

There is definitely talk about other Brady projects and I would LOVE to reprise my role as Jan as long as the schedule permits.

Next, I understand you are working on the new NBC show "Rerun". Can you tell us something about this show (its plot, premise, etc.)?

The Rerun Show, which is also in collaboration with Columbia Tristar Domestic Television, is a lot like The Real Live Brady Bunch. We are taking old TV shows from the Columbia Tristar Library and recreating them word for word to the original scripts in a tongue and cheek style. There is an ensemble cast of six people with possible guest stars. Every week we'd bring to life a different episode from a classic show by recreating the sets, costumes, and hair and make-up while adding several comic twists.

Have you filmed the first episodes of this show and, if so, what shows/episodes did you film and what roles did you play? Will you be appearing in future segments of other classic shows?

We've already filmed the pilot episode. For the pilot we actually took two different episodes and shortened them to make one 30 minute sitcom. We did an episode entitled "Shoplifting" from The Facts of Life as well as an episode entitled "The Rivals" from Different Strokes. I played Blair Warner and Kimberly Drummond. There are several other shows in the Library including Married With Children, The Partridge Family, Bewitched, Who's the Boss and many many more. I definitely look forward to becoming other characters in future segments.

Any comments you would like to share that hasn't been covered?

Check out www.ashleydrane.com for more pictures of the Brady Bunch and the Rerun Show!