Florence Henderson On The Lasting Impact Of Carol Brady Of ‘The Brady Bunch’

It was Florence Henderson who brought to life one of the most famous moms in television history, and to this day – more than 40 years after “The Brady Bunch” wrapped its initial run — the actress is still enjoying the benefits of Carol Brady’s legacy.

“There’s such a sweetness about it — it makes me happy,” Florence told Access Hollywood Live’s Billy Bush and Kit Hoover on Thursday, of the fan attention for the iconic TV role. “I get so many hugs.”

Florence said she believes Carol’s parenting style is what keeps her character so near and dear to so many people’s hearts.

“I think maybe because Carol Brady was the kind of mother that everybody wanted,” she said when asked to explain the character’s lasting impact. “[She’s] the one I wanted.

“People say, ‘Why did you portray her that way?’ I say ‘Because that’s the kind of mother I always wished I’d had,’” Florence, who documented her tough childhood in her 2011 memoir, “Life Is Not A Stage,” added.

In her book, Florence addresses growing up in rural Indiana, the youngest of 10 children, with a father who was a senior citizen — and — without a mother, who abandoned the family when she was just 12.

“I think just letting people know who I am, and that I wasn’t just Carol Brady,” Florence told Billy and Kit when asked about why she wrote the book. “I’d had a lot of experience in my life — all kinds — and I’ve never become bitter, I’m not angry. I’m a very forgiving person and loving person. I just want to live my life with the joy and appreciation and… I think sometimes you go through a lot of things to get to that point.”

Drawing on her past as a TV mom and her own real life mom experiences, Florence has teamed up with P&G, to serve as a spokesperson for the brand’s “Thank you, Mom” campaign.

“It’s a campaign to say ‘Thank you, mom,’ and being a mom I appreciate that, but they’re also doing a great thing for Special Olympics,” she said.

After already raising 100,000 by getting people to like the Facebook.com/thankyoumom page, P&G has promised to donate another $50,000 if the page receives another 50,000 likes by the end of January.