00:00You live in this apartment, right?
00:04Uh-huh.
00:05And you got an apartment in this building, too?
00:07Yes, that's right.
00:09Well, how come we overcame and nobody told me?
00:15For over five decades, Marla Gibbs has been a barrier-breaking queen in American entertainment,
00:20blazing trails on both screen and behind the camera.
00:24How did my career start?
00:26I came here in 69 and started in community workshops.
00:31My daughter Angela and I found out about Margaret Avery's workshop.
00:35So we went and joined and found out that they were auditioning for the Jeffersons.
00:42And so I went and did an audition for the Jeffersons.
00:45And my agent was Ernestine McClendon.
00:49And she decided that her clients were not being seen the way they should be.
00:54So she wrote a full-page letter to The Hollywood Reporter.
00:59So I went in and did an audition.
01:01And it was the first time they paid attention to me.
01:05And by the time I got home, I had the job.
01:08How did it feel to be dead?
01:10What?
01:11Did you get to talk to the devil?
01:14Armed with quick wit and impeccable comedic timing, Marla Gibbs transformed a one-time guest's role on The Jeffersons at age 44 into an 11-season masterclass in entertainment.
01:26Florence, I need a drink.
01:28Me too, and make mine a double.
01:30Her performance led to five Emmy nominations and helped make The Jeffersons a top 10 show.
01:36Well, it was awesome because we weren't expecting it.
01:40You didn't see black people on TV that much.
01:43And so just the idea that you were auditioning for something to be on television, the people I grew up with would be shocked.
01:52But bringing Florence Johnston to life was just the beginning.
01:55Making history as the first black woman to executive produce a television show, Moila broke new ground with 227, where she not only starred, but served as creative consultant.
02:05Oh, Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy, that's all I ever hear.
02:08Daddy.
02:09Mary.
02:10Lester.
02:11Sorry.
02:12When network executives pushed to make her character a single mother, she stood resolute, fighting for and winning the portrayal of a strong two-parent black household.
02:21But her influence extended far beyond the screen.
02:24Miss Gibbs created vital spaces for black creativity to flourish.
02:28Marla's Memory Lanes, her jazz club in South Central LA, was a cultural cornerstone for nearly two decades.
02:35Marla co-founded Crossroads Theatre and Acting School with her daughter Angela in 1981, and later acquired the historic Len Merch Theatre, transforming it into the Vision Theatre Complex.
02:46Though adorned with eight NAACP awards and honors like Essence Magazine's Woman of the Year, Marla's true legacy lies in the doors she opened, the stereotypes she shattered, and the standards she set.
02:58She's a visionary architect who built an empire on the understanding that representation, ownership, and opportunity are the foundations of black excellence.
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