Most Gen Xers don’t remember a time when Marla Gibbs wasn’t on television. From 1975 – 1985, the actress starred in the hit sitcom “The Jeffersons” as housekeeper Florence Johnston, who never missed an opportunity to hit her employer with a wisecrack. She went on to play wife and mom Mary Jenkins in “227” from 1985 to 1990.
Suggested Reading
Today, at 94 years young, Gibbs is still going strong, releasing an inspiring memoir, “It’s Never Too Late,” on Feb. 24, which details her unconventional journey to Hollywood stardom and her decades-long career on the stage and screen. If she has it her way, Gibbs won’t be leaving the spotlight any time soon.
“As long as I’m here, there should be something that I want to do and that I’m doing, because sitting down just kills your entire body, your entire mind, and you become useless,” she said in an interview.
In honor of her new book, we’re looking at five things you may not have known about the legendary performer and all-around boss, Marla Gibbs.
A Troubled Childhood
Before she was Marla Gibbs, she was Margaret Theresa Bradley, born on June 14, 1931, in Chicago. In her book, Gibbs writes that her parents had a “loveless marriage,” which ended in divorce. Gibbs and her sisters were caught in the crossfire, feeling emotional abuse from their grandmother as well as being frequently molested by their mother’s string of boyfriends.
Unfortunately, the pattern of abuse continued for Gibbs, who married her high school sweetheart, Jordan “Buddy” Gibbs in 1955. She writes that he was both physically and emotionally abusive throughout their 18-year marriage, including during her pregnancies.
Her Big Break
After Gibbs ended her 18-year marriage in 1973, she made her way to Los Angeles to give her life a reboot. She got a job as a reservations agent with United Airlines and took acting lessons in her downtime, something Gibbs says helped her escape from the pain of real life.
“If a character had strength, I seemed to gain strength. I grew by connecting with the emotions of a character,” Gibbs writes in her book. “I was driven to pursue acting out of a passion to get out of myself and my current reality.”
All of her hard work paid off when she landed the role of Florence on “The Jeffersons” in 1975, when she was 44 years old. The single mom of three held down her position at United while juggling her acting gig, a feat that would soon skyrocket her to stardom.
She Survived a Near-Fatal Health Scare
In 2006, Gibbs had a frightening health scare when she suffered a brain aneurysm and a stroke. Although her recovering period was both physically and emotionally painful, Gibbs believed her survival was a sign from God that she still had work to do, and made it mission to recover and regain her independence.
“Most people do not survive brain aneurysms, so I knew God still had plans for me,” Gibbs wrote in her book. “The more my strength and memory came back, the more trouble I got into.”
She’s a Boss
Marla Gibbs started out on “The Jeffersons,” in a limited role, as a guest star which paid her a fraction of what her co-stars earned. But as she became known and loved by the show’s fans, she was able to advocate for a regular part and a pay raise, which allowed her to leave her day job at the airline behind.
During her time on the show, Gibbs had no problem pushing back with the writers, especially when they gave her lines that she felt weren’t truly representative of Black women.
“Before long, our producers let all of the actors sit at the table. A new tradition started with our show. It only made sense that writers know what an actor’s thoughts are about the words they’re obliged to read,” she wrote in her book.
Gibbs’ feedback was welcome, and led to her becoming an uncredited executive producer on “227.”
She Can Sing
Marla Gibbs isn’t just a talented actress, she’s also a singer. In addition to being the voice behind the “227” theme song, “There’s No Place Like Home,” Gibbs released her debut solo jazz/swing album, “It’s Never Too Late,” in 2006.
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