Celebritist learned from I Love Old School Music about Marla’s career and two members of her family who were also on TV after her.
Marla is the youngest of two sisters, and she started acting in the early ’70s in films like Sweet Jesus, Preacher Man, and Black Belt Jones.
But her rise to fame came after she was cast to play the role of the maid for the Jefferson family in The Jeffersons.
Her character became so beloved by the public that she had her own spin-off titled Checking In, and was nominated for an Emmy five times and a Golden Globe Award thanks to her portrayal of Florence Johnston.
After the cancellation of the show, Gibbs starred in the sitcom 227, this time as the lead role of Mary Jenkins.
She’s had small roles and guest appearances in shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Scandal, ER, and most recently, American Horror Story: Hotel and Black-ish.
But Marla is not alone in her passion for acting in her family; her older sister Susie Garrett also tried acting, though she wasn’t as successful as Marla.
Susie made several guest appearances in her sister’s shows The Jeffersons and 227, but her most notable role was in the NBC sitcom Punky Brewster.
Susie passed away from cancer in 2002.
And there’s another Gibbs who’s made a mark in Hollywood—Marla’s daughter, Angela Gibbs.
However, Angela didn’t settle for being in front of the screen; she’s a director, producer, and screenwriter who has worked with notable people like Alejandro González Iñárritu, Denzel Washington, Ruby Dee, and Aaron McGruder.
As an actress, Angela has made appearances on shows like Bones, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, The Fosters, and Black Jesus.
We could say that talent truly runs in the family.
