Marla Gibbs

Marla Gibbs (born Margaret Theresa Bradley; June 14, 1931) is an American actress, comedian, singer, writer and television producer, whose career spans five decades. Gibbs is known for her role as George Jefferson's maid, Florence Johnston, in the CBS sitcom, The Jeffersons (1975–85), for which she received five nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
== Early life ==
The younger of two sisters, Gibbs was born Margaret Theresa Bradley on June 14, 1931, at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois to Ophelia Birdie (née Kemp) and Douglas Bradley.[3] She attended Wendell Phillips Academy High School in the Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. She graduated in 1949.[4] Shortly after high school, Gibbs moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she attended Peters Business School. She worked as a reservations agent for United Airlines before relocating with her children from Detroit to Los Angeles.
== Career ==
Gibbs got her first acting job in the early 1970s, in the blaxploitation films Sweet Jesus, Preacher Man and Black Belt Jones. In 1975 she was cast as Florence Johnston, the family's maid, in the CBS comedy series The Jeffersons. For her performance on the series, Gibbs was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series five times, and once for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. In 1981 she starred in the short-lived spin-off of The Jeffersons, titled Checking In.[2] Gibbs responded in a 2015 interview on Broadway Showbiz, when asked if she'd based any of her characters on real-life people: "Yes, Florence was like my aunt and grandmother so I lived it. She came easy to me so I'm like Florence in giving smart answers, but I was also shy so I wouldn't have dared to say some of the things Florence said. I prefer to do whatever I can do at the moment. Whoever's hiring me at the moment...that's what I'm supposed to do. My favorite is drama. I'm doing that now (on Scandal), but also still doing comedy on Hot in Cleveland."[5] In 1985, when The Jeffersons was cancelled after 11 seasons, Gibbs was the lead actress in the NBC sitcom, 227. The series aired until 1990, producing 116 episodes. Two decades later, Gibbs teamed again with former 227 co-star Jackée Harry in The First Family, where Gibbs had a recurring role as Harry's on-screen mother Grandma Eddy. Then, she again worked with Harry in the independent film Forbidden Woman.
Gibbs had a number of supporting film roles, and guest starred on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Touched by an Angel (with Della Reese), Judging Amy, ER, and Southland.[6] From 1998 to 2002 she had a recurring role on The Hughleys. In 2012, Gibbs appeared in the Tyler Perry film Madea's Witness Protection,[7] and in 2014 she starred in the independent film, Grantham & Rose.[8][9]
In 2015, Gibbs has made two appearances in the Shonda Rhimes' drama series, Scandal.[10] She later guest starred on Hot in Cleveland, American Horror Story: Hotel and This Is Us. In 2018, she was cast in a recurring role on the ABC drama series Station 19.[11] Gibbs also has had starring roles in two television pilots: Old Soul alongside Ellen Burstyn and Rita Moreno for NBC in 2014, and ABC's Jalen Vs. Everybody in 2017.[12] In film, she co-starred in Lemon and Please Stand By.
Gibbs owned a jazz club in South Central L.A. called Marla's Memory Lane Jazz and Supper Club from 1981 to 1999. As a singer, she released a number of albums.[citation needed].
== Personal life ==
Gibbs was married to her high school sweetheart Jordan Gibbs from 1955 to 1973; the couple had three children:[2] Angela Gibbs, Dorian Gibbs and Joseph Gibbs. Her older sister is the late actress Susie Garrett. Her daughter Angela Gibbs is also an actress who appeared on the TV show Sanford and Son and movies such as Together Brothers, Drumline and Think Like A Man Too. On July 31, 2014, Gibbs attended the Leimert Park Village Book Fair in Los Angeles, California to pay tribute to Maya Angelou, who died on May 28, and Ruby Dee, who died on June 11.[13] On January 11, 2016, Gibbs and former 227 co-star, Jackée Harry, attended the funeral of Grammy Award-winning singer Natalie Cole at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, California.[14] Gibbs co-starred opposite Cole in the TV movie Lily in Winter.[citation needed]
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1973	Sweet Jesus, Preacherman 	Beverly Solomon 	
1974	Black Belt Jones 	Bartender 	Uncredited
1977	Passing Through 	Secretary 	
1991	Up Against the Wall 	Louise Bradley 	
1991	Last Breeze of Summer 	 	Short film
1993	The Meteor Man 	Maxine Reed 	
1994	Lily in Winter 	Maize Covington 	
1998	Border to Border 	Dela 	
1999	Foolish 	Odetta 	
1999	Lost & Found 	Enid 	
2000	The Visit 	Lois Waters 	Method Fest Independent Film Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
2000	Stanley's Gig 	Eleanor Whitney 	
2001	The Brothers 	Mary West 	
2005	Love on Layaway 	Narrator 	
2006	The Ties That Bind 	Delores 	Short film
2006	The Heart Specialist 	Ms. Overwood 	
2009	The What Goes Around 	Ms. Lacey 	Short film
2009	Afro Ninja 	Aunt Mary 	
2009	Just Like Family 	Mabel Jenkins 	
2009	Devil's Land 	Judge Martha M. Levine	
2010	Sunnyview 	Mrs. Harris 	Short film
2012	Who Killed Soul Glow? 	 	
2012	C'mon Man 	Mrs. Crabtree 	
2012	Madea's Witness Protection	Hattie 	
2013	Forbidden Woman 	Mrs. Simmons 	
2014	Grantham & Rose 	Rose Price 	
2015	The Man in 3B 	Ms. Mamie 	
2016	Second Sight 	Nana 	
2017	Lemon 	Lilly 	
2017	The Last Revolutionary 	Millie 	
2017	You Can't Fight Christmas 	Beverly Lawrence 	
2018	Please Stand By 	Rose 	
2018	Love Jacked 	Rose 	
2018	HeadShop 	Mrs. Keys 	
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1975–1985	The Jeffersons 	Florence Johnston 	Series regular, 207 episodes
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1981–1985)
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1985)
Nominated — TV Land Award for Favorite Made-for-TV Maid
1975 	Barney Miller 	Mrs. McBee 	Episode: "Vigilante"
1975 	The Missing Are Deadly 	Nurse 	Television film
1976 	Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers 	Beth Euphrates 	Miniseries
1979 	You Can't Take It with You 	Rheba 	Television film
1981 	Checking In 	Florence Johnston 	Series regular, 4 episodes
1981 	The Love Boat 	Janet Dalton 	Episode: "The Incredible Hunk/Isaac, the Marriage Counselor/Jewels & Jim"
1984 	Pryor's Place 	Miss Stern 	3 episodes
1985–1990	227 	Mary Jenkins 	Series regular, 115 episodes
1990 	Menu for Murder 	Marty Hallard 	Television film
1993 	A Different World 	Principal Shaw 	Episode: "To Whit, with Love"
1993 	In the Heat of the Night 	Lilly Baker 	Episode: "A Baby Called Rocket"
1993 	Empty Nest 	Josephine Douglas 	Episode: "Mother Dearest"
1994 	Lily in Winter 	Maize Covington 	Television film
1995 	Dream On 	Mrs. Perry 	Episode: "Little Orphan Eddie"
1995 	Martin 	Miss Minnie 	Episode: "Housekeeper from Hell"
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
1996 	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 	Florence Johnston 	Episode: "I, Done: Part 2"
1997–1998	101 Dalmatians: The Series 	Duchess (voice) 	8 episodes
1997–1999	Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child	Old Mother Hubbard / Grandmother (voice)	2 episodes
1998–2002	The Hughleys 	Hattie Mae Hughley 	16 episodes
1999 	Martial Law 	Dolores Parker 	2 episodes
1999 	Dawson's Creek 	Mrs. Fran Boyd 	Episode: "First Encounters of the Close Kind"
2000 	Touched by an Angel 	Millie 	Episode: "The Invitation"
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
2001 	Judging Amy 	Zella Van Exel 	Episode: "Between the Wanting and the Getting"
2002 	The King of Queens 	Nana Louise 	Episode: "Patrons Ain't"
2002 	The Rerun Show 	Dr. Beamish 	Episode: "The Facts of Life: Shoplifting/The Jeffersons: A Bedtime Story"
2002 	Arliss 	Mrs. Jones 	Episode: "Profiles in Agenting"
2004 	Listen Up 	Jackie Widmer 	Episode: "Thanksgiving"
2004–2005	Passions 	Aunt Irma 	Recurring role
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
2005 	ER 	Cherise Barnes 	Episode: "Only Connect"
2005 	Cold Case 	Georgie 	Episode: "Best Friends"
2008 	Lincoln Heights 	Hazel Roberson 	Episode: "The Day Before Tomorrow"
2011 	House of Payne 	Florence Johnston 	Episode: "Curtis Jefferson"
2012 	Southland 	Ms. Miller 	Episode: "Underwater"
2012–2013	The First Family 	Grandma Eddy 	11 episodes
2013 	Mr. Box Office 	Florence Johnston 	Episode: "The Golden Apple"
2014 	Old Soul 	Agnes 	Pilot
2015 	Scandal 	Rose 	2 episodes
2015 	Hot in Cleveland 	Marcia 	Episode: "Cleveland Calendar Girls"
2015 	American Horror Story: Hotel 	Cassie Royale 	Episode: "She Wants Revenge"
2016 	Childrens Hospital 	Flossie 	Episode: "Doctor Beth"
2016–2017	The Carmichael Show 	Francis 	2 episodes
2017 	Jalen Vs. Everybody 	Grammie 	Pilot
2017 	This Is Us 	Lady in Diner 	Episode: "I Call Marriage"
2017 	Teachers 	Mrs. Potts 	Episode: "Snap Judgement"
2017–2018	Black-ish 	Mabel 	2 episodes
2017 	Trial & Error 	Mrs. Kratt 	2 episodes
2018 	Beyond 	Cutlass Owner 	Episode: "Six Feet Deep"
2018 	The Thundermans 	Sweet Gam Gam 	Episode: "Cookie Mistake"
2018 	Station 19 	Edith 	Recurring role
2018 	Rel 	Miss Jenkins 	Episode: "Laundry Room"