Christopher Knight — “The Brady Bunch”’s Peter — Didn’t Want to Be a Child Star: ‘Isn’t That Your Parents’ Job to Work?’

Knight said 'The Brady Bunch' was a 'wholesome' place for him, but he didn't want to act

Christopher Knight is opening up about his days as a child actor — and why it wasn’t, for him, a dream come true.

On the Nov. 19 episode of I Choose Me with Jennie Garth, Knight, who played middle son Peter Brady on The Brady Bunch, opened up about how he got into acting and the effect being on the hit series had on him.

Knight, 67, told the Beverly Hills, 90210 star that the show has had a “pretty significant” effect on his life, in part because he and his costars were “kids” when they filmed it. He was just 10 when he shot the pilot and 16 when the series wrapped. “You're forming yourself, you’re forming an idea of self,” he said.

Knight told Garth, 52, that he benefited from the “wholesome environment” of The Brady Bunch set, which he said was just like what fans saw on TV. Yet, he explained, “If I had kids, I would try to keep them away from show business until they're 18.” He noted that the “chances of falling apart” as you transition into adulthood are too high for child actors and added, “And isn't that your parents' job to work, not you?”

Related: Christopher Knight Says Brady Bunch Producers 'Lied to Me' Before Filming with a Real Spider: 'I Was Terrified'

Knight explained that he started acting because his dad was an out-of-work actor in New York City. He connected Knight and his brother — who was 13 months older — with agents. Knight told Garth that his brother was the “outgoing one” and his mom was surprised when he was the one who booked jobs instead.

The Brady Bunch, he said, gave him the support his family didn’t give, describing his home life as “chaotic and not abundant.” He remembered that when the family didn’t have enough milk, his father told his mother, “Feed them every other day.”

Still, when The Brady Bunch ended in 1974 after five seasons, he said, “I was happy.” He explained, “At least initially because I wanted to go to school. It wasn't my idea to be an actor, though I was getting so much from it and very much appreciated it. I hadn't decided on what I wanted to do with my life.” He re-entered school halfway through 11th grade, “just in time” to catch up on things he missed. 

Related: The Brady Bunch Kids Reunite on Today and Address a Hilarious Plot Hole from the Beloved Series

Knight attended UCLA and continued to work as an actor until he became involved in computers in the late ‘80s. He began making regular TV appearances again in the 2000s, notably on 2005's VH1 reality series My Fair Brady. In 2019, he and his TV siblings reunited for the HGTV series A Very Brady Renovation, and in 2022, he and his TV brothers Barry Williams and Mike Lookinland competed together on The Masked Singer.

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"It might've been 53 years ago that we met, but we've been sort of revolving — and evolving — in each other's worlds for those 53 years," Knight told PEOPLE at the time of his bond with his “brothers.” "So we are respectful, close friends and know each other very, very well." Knight also noted that though the Bradys sang on TV, he is not a singer. “I've always been sort of along for the ride and it hasn't been comfortable, but we're family first and foremost!”