Marla Gibbs reflects on her iconic roles in “The Jeffersons” and “227” – and why, at 94, she calls her agent from the hospital for roles.
At 94, Marla Gibbs still tells it like it is.
The actress, comedian and singer best known as the wise‑cracking maid Florence on “The Jeffersons” and chatty housewife Mary on “227,” is looking back on her life and legacy. In “It’s Never Too Late” (out now, Amistad), she recalls a life in which she found success in Hollywood when she was well into her 30s, spawning a 60-year second act on screen.
Joined by her daughter, actress Angela E. Gibbs, Marla says she decided to finally write her memoir at the urging of Angela, her grandson and her late accountant, Derek Folk. While it was tough “reliving” the past – especially a turbulent childhood – she has a lot of legacy to reflect on.
Gibbs’ career has centered on the lives of Black families and communities. Her portrayals – reflective of real people – will live on in television history for their honesty, wit and charm.
Marla Gibbs says Sherman Hemsley improvised this ‘The Jeffersons’ line
Her most famous role, Florence, was based on the maids she saw when she was younger. Like her character, they unapologetically ran the show. “Every house they were dealing with was their house. And they told you what to do. And you did it or they wouldn’t stay,” she tells USA TODAY, noting that while the writers kept the witty comebacks flowing, she got a say. “If I didn’t believe it, I changed it. And they allowed me to get away with that.”
Gibbs played off Sherman Hemsley, as George and Florence would go tit-for-tat in the Norman Lear-created series. She calls the relationship “a lot of fun” built on a natural comedic chemistry where both would improvise on the fly.
In one episode, she recalls George “was going out the door. And so I handed him a bag of garbage. I said, ‘Here, empty the garbage.’ He changed his line and immediately responded to me and said, ‘OK, hop in.’ I thought that was very funny.”
For viewers, Gibbs’ portrayal was a second skin. “I’m Florence. I made sure it was me,” she says.
Marla Gibbs pushed for ‘over the top’ Jackée Harry casting in ‘227’
The multi-hyphenate went on to coproduce, lead and sing the theme song for “227,” the 1980s NBC sitcom where Jackée Harry and a young Regina King came to fame. Set in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Washington, DC, the series was based on the 1978 stage play “Two Twenty Seven” by Christine Houston, where Gibbs originated the role.
The actress praises its relatability, which she insisted on preserving. She fought not to be a single mom, nor own the building at 227 Lexington Place. The “majority of people do not own buildings, they rent. All those people I knew growing up, they rent,” she says. That desire extended to the cast, in which she pushed to bring on Harry instead of the network’s pick, theater darling Sheryl Lee Ralph, to play Sandra Clark.
Gibbs says the network thought Harry’s performance was “over the top.” But “I said whatever. And they gave me Jackée,” she quips, who would go on to become a breakout star. “She was ‘227.’”
The NAACP Image Award winner went on to book roles on “A Different World,” “Martin,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Dawson’s Creek” and “ER.” She played D.L. Hughley’s mother, Hattie Mae Hughley, on “The Hughleys,” a role she got after kindly kicking the comedian off a stage for his crass comedy.
“He had come to my supper club open mic night. And somebody asked him to get up. He got up and started performing. But he was cussing and I didn’t allow it,” Gibbs says. “I came out to the stage and applauded and said, ‘Wasn’t he wonderful?’ and took him off the stage.”
She continues, “I told him, ‘You come back when you have some clean material.’ Later he told me, ‘I couldn’t come back because I didn’t have no clean material.'”
Marla Gibbs will call her agent from the hospital for roles
Younger audiences may also know Gibbs from guest appearances in “Scandal,” “American Horror Story,” “This Is Us,” “Black-ish,” “The Neighborhood,” “Young Sheldon” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” She’s acted well into her 90s, with an appearance on “Chicago Med” in January, and two more projects in development. “If I knew I was going to get all this love later in life, I would not have worried so much when I was young,” she says.
As for what has kept her motivated all these years? “My agents,” she says with a laugh. “She’ll call them from the hospital,” her daughter adds.
“What do you have for me?” Gibbs will request, keeping them busier than clients half her age. “Garry Purdy is the one that works very closely with me. He said, ‘I’d better get busy.’ I said, ‘Yeah!'”
For Gibbs, living through many selves keeps her coming back for more.
“People see me as the same, but I see me as different people having different experiences,” she says. “I don’t think you ever want that to end.”
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.usatoday.com ’
