Gibbs, Marla 1931-

PERSONAL

Full name, Margaret Gibbs; born June 14, 1931, in Chicago, IL; daughter of Douglas Bradley and Ophelia Birdie (maiden name, Kemp) Gibbs; children: Angela Elayne (an actress, director, and writer), Jordan Joseph, Jr., Dorian Demetrius (an actor, director, and writer). Education: Attended Cortez Peters Business School, 1950-52; studied at Mafundi Institute and Watts Writers Workshop. Religion: Science of Mind Church.

Addresses:

Agent—Beverly Hecht Agency, 3500 West Olive Ave., Suite 1180, Burbank, CA 91505.

Career:

Actress, producer, and writer. Marla Gibbs Enterprises, Los Angeles, president, 1978—; Vision Theater Complex, owner, 1990-97. Appeared in public service announcement for The More You Know, NBC; appeared in television commercials for 10-10-321 telephone service and Sears department stores. Service Bindery, Chicago, IL, receptionist, 1951-56; Kelly Girls, addressograph machine operator, 1956; Gotham Hotel, Chicago, switchboard operator, 1957; Department of Street Railways, Chicago, information operator, 1957; United Airlines, Detroit, MI, reservations agent, 1963-74; Hormar, Inc., Los Angeles, vice president, 1978—; Marla's Memory Lane (jazz supper club), owner. Choice Foundation, creator; member, California State Assembly, 1980, and MGMAA Foundation.

Member:

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Alpha Kappa Alpha (honorary member).

Awards, Honors:

Awards from National Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1976, Miss Black Culture Pageant, 1977, United Negro College Fund, 1977, and Women Involved, 1979; Tribute to the Black Woman Award, WISE, 1979; award from Paul Robeson Players, 1980; Emmy Award nominations, best supporting actress in a comedy, annually, 1981-85, Image Award, best actress in a comedy series or special, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1982, Golden Globe Award nomination, best supporting actress in a television series, miniseries, or movie, 1985, and TV Land Award nominations, favorite made-for-television maid, 2004, 2006, all for The Jeffersons; Image Award nomination, outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, 1996, for Martin; Image Award nomination, outstanding supporting actress in a drama series, 2001, for Touched by an Angel; Method Fest Award, best supporting actress in a feature film, 2000, Image Award nomination, outstanding supporting actress in a motion picture, 2001, and Black Reel Award nomination, best supporting actress in a theatrical motion picture, 2002, all for The Visit; Commie Award, funniest woman of the year, Comedy Central Network, 2003; Image Award nominations, outstanding actress in a daytime drama series, 2005, 2006, both for Passions; eight Family Television Awards; two CEBA Awards; named woman of the year, Essence; award from Women in Theatre West.

CREDITS

Television Appearances; Series:

Florence Johnston, The Jeffersons, CBS, 1979-85.

Florence Johnston, Checking In, CBS, 1981.

Mary Jenkins, 227, NBC, 1985-90.

Rotating host, The Late Show (also known as The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers and The Late Show Starring Ross Shafer), Fox, 1986.

Voice of duchess, 101 Dalmatians: The Series (animated; also known as Disney's "101 Dalmatians: The Series" and 101 Dalmatians), ABC and syndicated, 1997-98.

Hattie Mae Hughley, a recurring role, The Hughleys, ABC, 1998-99, then UPN, 2000-2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Rheba, You Can't Take It with You, CBS, 1979.

CBS All American Thanksgiving Day Parade, CBS, 1982.

Night of 100 Stars II, ABC, 1985.

Orange Bowl Parade, 1985.

The Real Trivial Pursuit, ABC, 1985.

NBC's 60th Anniversary Celebration, NBC, 1986.

Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy, 1986.

The 12th Annual Circus of the Stars, CBS, 1987.

Drug Free Kids: A Parent's Guide, PBS, 1988.

Living the Dream: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, syndicated, 1988.

The 6th Annual Television Academy Hall of Fame, Fox, 1990.

Motown 30: What's Goin' On!, CBS, 1990.

Host, A Salute to America's Pets, ABC, 1991.

Math … Who Needs It?!, PBS, 1991.

The 19th Annual Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, syndicated, 1992.

Picture What Women Do, Lifetime, 1994.

(In archive footage) 50 Years of Funny Females, 1995.

Voice of Old Mother Hubbard, Mother Goose: A Rappin' and Rhymin' Special, HBO, 1997.

Voice of grandmother, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves: An Animated Special from "The Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child" Series, HBO, 1999.

TV Guide's Truth behind the Sitcoms 4, Fox, 2000.

Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television, TV Land, 2002.

Presenter, CBS at 75: A Primetime Celebration, CBS, 2003.

(In archive footage) Mouthing Off: 51 Greatest Smart-asses, Comedy Central, 2004.

TV's Greatest Sidekicks, Lifetime, 2004.

Back to the Grind, TV Land, 2007.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Mrs. Euphrates, The Moneychangers (also known as Arthur Hailey's "The Moneychangers"), NBC, 1976.

Cosgrove, The Fire Next Time, CBS, 1993.

I Love the '80s, VH1, 2002.

The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases, TV Land, 2006.

Television Appearances; Movies:

First nurse, The Missing Are Deadly, ABC, 1974.

Mary Hallard, Menu for Murder (also known as Murder at the PTA Luncheon), CBS, 1990.

Mazie Covington, Lily in Winter, USA Network, 1994.

Mrs. Peterson, "The Last Breeze of Summer," Showtime 30-Minute Movie, Showtime, 1994.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Mrs. McBee, "Vigilante," Barney Miller, 1975.

Janet Dalton, "Isaac and the Marriage Counselor," The Love Boat, ABC, 1981.

Introducer, Star Search, 1983.

Miss Stern, "Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb," Pryor's Place, CBS, 1984.

Miss Stern, "Sax Education," Pryor's Place, CBS, 1984.

Miss Stern, "The Showoff," Pryor's Place, CBS, 1984.

Super Password, 1986.

Dream On, HBO, 1990.

Burt Wolf/Eating Well, PBS, 1992.

Principal Shaw, "To Whit, with Love," A Different World, 1993.

Josephine Douglas, "Mother Dearest," Empty Nest, 1993.

Lilly Baker, "A Baby Called Rocket," In the Heat of the Night, CBS, 1993.

Townsend Television, Fox, 1993.

Jessica Willis, "Who Killed the Hollywood Headshrinker?" Burke's Law, CBS, 1995.

Miss Minnie, "Housekeeper from Hell," Martin, Fox, 1995.

"Princes and Princesses of Prime Time Past," Geraldo (also known as The Geraldo Rivera Show), 1995.

Florence Johnston, "I, Done: Part 1," The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1996.

Dolores Parker, "Wild Life," Martial Law, CBS, 1999.

Dolores Samuels, "Big Trouble," Martial Law, CBS, 1999.

Mrs. Fran Boyd, "First Encounters of the Close Kind," Dawson's Creek, The WB, 1999.

Millie, "The Invitation," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 2000.

Zella Van Exel, "Between the Wanting and the Getting," Judging Amy, CBS, 2001.

"Classic Television," The Weakest Link, NBC, 2001.

Nana Louise, "Patrons Ain't," The King of Queens, CBS, 2002.

Dr. Beamish, "The Facts of Life: Shoplifting/The Jeffersons: A Bedtime Story," The Rerun Show, NBC, 2002.

Profiles in Agenting,… Arli$$, HBO, 2002.

Aunt Irma, Passions (also known as Harmony's Passions and The Passions Storm), NBC, 2004.

Jackie Widmer, "Thanksgiving," Listen Up, CBS, 2004.

Cherise Barnes, "Only Connect," ER, NBC, 2005.

Georgie, "Best Friends," Cold Case, CBS, 2005.

"Tawny Takes On Flo: Part 2," The Surreal Life, VH1, 2006.

"Sherman Hemsley," Living in TV Land, TV Land, 2006.

"Scandal Proof," Chappelle's Show (also known as Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes), Comedy Central, 2006.

"Oddballs & Original Characters," TV Land Confidential (also known as TV Land Confidential: The Untold Stories), TV Land, 2007.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Presenter, The 13th Annual People's Choice Awards, CBS, 1987.

Presenter, The 19th Annual NAACP Image Awards, NBC, 1987.

Presenter, 20th NAACP Image Awards, NBC, 1988.

The 9th Annual American Black Achievement Awards, ABC, 1988.

Presenter, The 4th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, syndicated, 1990.

Host, The Stellar Gospel Music Awards (also known as The 5th Annual Stellar Awards), syndicated, 1990.

The 24th Annual Victor Awards, syndicated, 1990.

The 24th Annual NAACP Image Awards, NBC, 1992.

Presenter, 1998 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, TV Land, 1998.

Presenter, The 2000 Trumpet Awards, TBS, 2000.

Comedy Central Presents: The Commies, Comedy Central, 2003.

BET Comedy Awards, Black Entertainment Television, 2004.

The 4th Annual TV Land Awards, TV Land, 2006.

Television Guest Appearances; Episodic:

The Arsenio Hall Show, 1990.

Hollywood Squares (also known as H2 and H2: Hollywood Squares), syndicated, 1999, 2004.

Soap Talk, Soap Network, 2004.

The John Kerwin Show, 2006.

"Leachman Passes a Milestone/Golf/Stuff Style & Jules Verne Gets the Star Treatment," In the Mix (also known as In the Cutz), Urban America, 2006.

Entertainment Tonight (also known as Entertainment This Week, E.T., ET Weekend, and This Week in Entertainment), syndicated, 2007.

Television Work; Pilots:

Producer, 227, NBC, 1985.

Film Appearances:

Beverly Solomon, Sweet Jesus, Preacher Man, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1972.

(Uncredited) Bartender, Black Belt Jones, 1974.

Passing Through, 1977.

Louise Bradley, Up Against the Wall, Marvin Films, 1991.

Last Breeze of Summer, 1991.

Mrs. Reed, The Meteor Man, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1993.

Dela, Border to Border, 1998.

Odetta Waise, Foolish, Artisan Entertainment, 1999.

Enid, Lost & Found, Warner Bros., 1999.

Eleanor Whitney, Stanley's Gig, 2000.

Lois Waters, The Visit, Urbanworld Films, 2000.

Mary West, The Brothers, Screen Gems, 2001.

Delores, The Ties that Bind (short film), 2006.

Hollywood Desperado: Rebel or Royalty (documentary), Jaime Monroy Studios, 2008.

Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy (documentary), Codeblack Entertainment, 2008.

Stage Appearances:

Night of 100 Stars II, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1985.

Appeared in 227, Crossroads Theatre, Los Angeles; also appeared in Medea, Amen Corner, and The Gingerbread Lady, all Zodiac Theatre.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Your Alcohol IQ, J2 Communications, 1988.

TV in Black: The First Fifty Years, Koch Vision, 2004.

227: Stories from the Stoop, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, 2004.

Narrator, Love on Layaway, Urban Works Entertainment, 2005.

5 Keys to a Healthy Heart, Conrad Productions, 2005.

WRITINGS

Television Episodes:

"Some Enchanted Evening," The Jeffersons, CBS, 1984.

ADAPTATIONS

"Rich Kid," an episode of the 1987 series 227, was based on a story by Gibbs.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

TV Guide, August 8, 2004, p. 45.