Marla Gibbs is an American actress, singer, television producer, and comedian who boasts a net worth of 4 million dollars. The actress has managed to create this fortune through her acting career spanning over seven decades. Marla Gibbs is better known for portraying Florence Johnston in the television series The Jeffersons. The actress made most of her fortune in the ’70s and ’80s when she appeared on the show.
Early Life and Education
Marla Gibbs was born in 1931 in Chicago, Illinois, to Douglas Bradley and Ophelia Birdie. Her father was a mechanic and mainly worked in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Her mother, on the other hand, was a businesswoman.
When Marla Gibbs was five years old, her parents divorced. Following the divorce, Marla’s mother remarried and relocated to another town. Marla and her two sisters were left with their father, who raised them with the help of their grandmother. Upon coming of age, Marla Gibbs enrolled in Corpus Christi Elementary School for her early education. After that she proceeded to St. Elizabeth High School for her secondary education.
Marla Gibbs studied for one and a half years before moving to Wendell Phillips Academy. While at the academy, her father died, and she had to move to Detroit to live with her mother. She attended Northern High School before returning to Wendell Phillips, where she graduated in 1949. Marla did not enroll immediately in college after high school. However, several years later, she joined Peters Business School.
Career
Marla Gibbs tried several jobs before venturing into acting. One of her earliest jobs was at United Airlines, where she worked as a reservations agent. While in Los Angeles, she decided to try her luck with acting. She performed at the Los Angeles black theater before she began landing roles. Some of her earliest roles before her breakthrough were in Black Belt Jones, Preacher Man, and Sweet Jesus.
As of 1975, Marla Gibbs was still working at United Airlines. However, she landed a great role when she was cast as Florence Johnston in the sitcom The Jeffersons. Despite landing that role, Marla Gibbs did not quit her job at United Airlines. She could work at CBS during the day, and at night, she would work as a reservations agent.
This went on for a while, but when the show hit success, Marla Gibbs requested a leave of absence so that she could focus on the show. Marla’s performance on the show was great such that he received five nominations for the role. After the show was canceled, Marla became a household name. More acting opportunities came begging. Her other credits include 227, Scandal, Station 19, This is Us, and Please Stand By. Besides acting, Marla Gibbs owned a jazz club and she was making some money from it.
Marla Gibbs’s Net Worth
Marla Gibbs’s 4 million dollars net worth is a statement of her determination and self-resilience in her attempt to realize financial freedom. Despite struggling with an ulcer, she never gave up on her aspirations, and so far, she has made a fortune that can cover her and her future generations.
