With a career spanning six decades, comedic actress Marla Gibbs was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday. During the unveiling ceremony in Los Angeles where Gibbs was joined by friends, family, and producer Norman Lear who created the show that would launch the 90-year-old into stardom, she told those gathered, “I never thought it would happen, but here it is.”
Gibbs is most well-known for her role as George Jefferson’s maid, Florence Johnston, on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons, which she played from 1975-1985, but the Chicago native began her acting career in film two years prior. Since 1973, Gibbs has starred in a number of movies (Lost & Found, The Brothers), been cast as a serious regular in various TV shows (The Hughleys, Station 19), and made countless guest appearances on sitcoms and TV dramas up through 2021 (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, A Black Lady Sketch Show).
While it’s hard to capture a 48-year career in one article, click below to see some of Gibbs most memorable performances and appearances over the years.
01
1973: Gibbs Portrayed Beverly Solomon In The Blaxploitation Film For Sweet Jesus Preacher Man
02
1975: From 1975-1985, Gibbs starred as Florence Johnston in The CBS sitcom The Jeffersons
03
1985: Moving from one sitcom to the next, from 1985-1990, Gibbs played Mary Jenkins in 227
04
1987: Gibbs attends the 13th Annual People’s Choice Awards
05
1993: Robert Townsend’s Meteor Man hits theaters with Gibbs playing Maxine Reed
06
2003: Gibbs attends Comedy Central’s First Ever Awards Show “The Commies”
07
2004: Isabel Sanford Is honored With a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; Gibbs delivers remarks
08
2005: Gibbs performs at the Worldwide V-Day Campaign presentation of The Vagina Monologues
09
2020: The cast of 227 reunites on TODAY
10
1995: Gibbs plays the hilarious housekeeper Miss Minnie in an episode of Martin
11
2012: Gibbs at the premiere of Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection; she played Hattie in the movie
12
2012: Gibbs stars as Grandma Eddy in Byron Allen’s sitcom First Family
13
2015: Gibbs made a guest appearance on two episodes of Scandal this year
14
2015: That same year she also appeared alongside Betty White in an episode of Hot in Cleveland
15
2016: Gibbs portrayed Francis in two episodes of The Carmichael Show in 2016 and 2017
16
2017: Justin Hartley and Gibbs after she appeared in an episode of This is Us
17
2017: Gibbs stars as Mabel in two episodes of ABC’s Black-ish
18
2018: Gibbs starred in the Canadian romantic comedy Love Jacked
19
2021: Gibbs is honored With a Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame
