Myra Gibbs It’s a nostalgic feeling.
The 93-year-old actress sat down with ET to reflect on her long and successful career, which has included 39 films and 72 TV series, including her decade-long run on the beloved sitcom time in the jeffersons. She also frankly expressed her relationship with the late norman learLegendary Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and television creator the jeffersons.
the jeffersons It aired on CBS from 1975 to 1985. Gibbs, who played the sassy maid Florence Johnston, said she was only supposed to appear in a comedy but was quickly invited back and offered a contract.
“When I’m acting the jeffersons So I always thought I would do that. the jeffersons This is a done deal. I was only supposed to do one show,” she said. “I’m glad I got a chance. I got the chance to do it. So I was delighted, and then they invited me back for episode five, and then they invited me back for episode eight, and then they asked me to sign on. So I was very surprise.
Gibbs still remembers the day she met King Lear. Died at the age of 101 December 5 at his home in Los Angeles of natural causes. The two first met in 1975, when Gibbs auditioned for him with “How did we get over it and no one told me?” Wire.
“It turns out that’s one of Norman’s favorite lines, so he always says I’m his favorite,” Gibbs shared.
Although the two have no direct contact, Gibbs reflects deeply on King Lear.
“Norman, what a profound man. I tell you. Don’t you forget Norman,” Gibbs said.
She remembered that one day I told Lear that she wanted him to come and visit the jeffersons.
“At the same time, at the jeffersons, they said, “Norman is here.” Norman is here? Who invited him? ‘Mara.
While people may be upset with Gibbs for letting his boss go to work, he needs to address the issue of the way the Willis family is behaving.
“They had a problem and I knew he could fix it because I saw the way he handled things, he came in and fixed it,” Gibbs said.
When Gibbs first read the script the jeffersonsShe had “no idea” the cultural impact the show and her characters would have on the show, which tells the story of a black family moving into a luxury apartment building on New York City’s Upper East Side.
“Excellent, the jeffersons, they reflect society as a whole,” she explains. “Isabelle is the one who does things voluntarily. They have a health center. Roxy is in an interracial relationship. George represents those who succeed without formal education. Florence represents all the people who work.
She continued, “I didn’t know Florence would be as accepted as she was. It’s just amazing that people will always remember my full name. They’ll say ‘Marla Gibbs.'” That’s great for me It’s always amazing.
Gibbs initially worried that children wouldn’t understand her character.
“When I first came to Florence, I was worried about what the other kids would think and not socialize with the maids, but they would always come up and say, ‘My aunt is a maid.’ They always tried to make it happen at home. Find a maid,” she said. “That’s really nice.”
Even now, the jeffersons It is still loved by many people. Gibbs recounted a sweet encounter with a fan.
“I was doing an autograph show in Tennessee, and an older white man came to take pictures and he almost cried,” she said. “Then he came back, without his friends, and he said, ‘I used to watch this show with my grandmother,’ and he started crying… I mean he actually cried, and I said, wow, this means a lot to them Watched this movie with family members who are no longer with them and they still feel that way.
She added: “the jeffersons It’s a show that everyone can watch with their kids and grandparents. Everyone can watch.
While Gibbs looks back fondly on her past, she’s also excited about the future. Gibbs will publish her memoir, “It’s Never Too Late,” in the fall. In her memoir, she traces her rise from Chicago’s South Side to her long-term success in Hollywood. She also has an online boutique marla boutiqueshe said it was run by her grandson.
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