She used to work for United Airlines, and she continued working there even after she landed a part on "The Jeffersons" (1975). She did not quit until the show became a hit.
Since leaving TV in 1990, Marla has been operating the Vision Theater Complex (which closed in 1997) and Marla's Memory Lane jazz supper club, both in Los Angeles.
Sister of Susie Garrett.
Left-handed.
Graduate of Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago.
High school classmate of Sam Cooke.
Married at age 13, she had three children by the time she was 20.
Honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
Is one of the very few actors to play the same regular character on two different series simultaneously. In April 1981, she played Florence Johnston on both "The Jeffersons" (1975) and "Checking In" (1981). Richard Anderson, David Hasselhoff and Fred Dalton Thompson are among the other actors to have done this.
Marla Gibbs Detailed Biography -
Marla Gibbs (born June 14, 1931 in Chicago, Illinois) is an African American actress, most known for her role as the sarcastic maid, Florence Johnston, on The Jeffersons, as well as the starring role of housewife Mary Jenkins in 227.
She starred in a series of commercials for Accent brand seasoning.
Her sister is the actress Susie Garrett, who appeared on Punky Brewster.
Gibbs was born in and grew up in Chicago, Illinois.
Currently, Marla owns a Jazz club in South Central L.A. called Marla's Memory Lane Jazz and Supper Club.
