Marla Gibbs, best known for her role as Florence Johnston on The Jeffersons, surprised fans this week by hitting the gym at the age of 94. The five-time Emmy nominee looked sprightly as she pumped iron, declaring that 'it's never too late' to start a health kick.
Gibbs' Inspiring Message
Gibbs captioned her post: 'At my age it’s easy to just lay in bed. Then I remember…as long as I’m breathing, I still have a chance to enjoy life. It’s Never Too Late!!!' Her youthful appearance and dedication won plaudits from celebrity friends, including Terry Crews who wrote 'LETS GOOOOO' and Arsenio Hall who commented 'You go gurl.'
A Storied Career
Gibbs starred on The Jeffersons from 1975 to 1985 alongside late co-stars Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, and Roxie Roker. She also appeared in the spin-off Checking In (1981) and the NBC sitcom 227 (1985–1990). Her TV credits include Pryor's Place, Barney Miller, A Different World, Martin, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In recent years, she had cameos on Young Sheldon, One Day at a Time, and Bless This Mess, and reprised her role as Florence in the 2019 special Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons.
Surviving a Brain Aneurysm
In her memoir Never Too Late, Gibbs opened up about her medical crisis in 2006 and her long recovery. She wrote: 'Most people do not survive brain aneurysms, so I knew God still had plans for me. The more my strength and memory came back, the more trouble I got into.' She recalled sneaking out of bed during rehab, leading to falls, and eventually being tied to the bed. 'I watched carefully as the nurses tied me up, so I could untie myself as soon as they left. And you guessed it ... I'd be on the floor again.'
Gibbs threw herself into recovery, which took 'every ounce of physical, mental and spiritual strength I could muster.' She emphasized that 'acceptance of where I was in my recovery was essential to me healing.' Her acting career soon resumed, and she was most recently seen in a 2026 episode of Chicago Med.
