It's Never Too Late
A Memoir
Will be published approx. on 8. April 2027
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-0-06-335664-1 (ISBN)
Description
The star of classic television series, including The Jeffersons and 227, reveals her difficult journey from a tempestuous childhood to becoming a confident Hollywood powerbroker and groundbreaker who paved the way for today's superstar talents.
Marla Gibbs has been a Hollywood icon for generations of fans. Now, at ninety-three, she chronicles her climb from a difficult youth in which she yearned for safety and love, to the high-stakes world of Hollywood where she became a confident powerbroker learning to work behind the scenes for fair pay, access, and more creative control for herself and her colleagues.
Told in her forthright voice, It's Never Too Late illuminates Gibbs' daring move to Los Angeles to rebuild her life after an abusive marriage, how she became an actor, and how she eventually learned to balance acting with show running. She was a "Boss Bae" decades before the term would become entertainment industry shorthand for a power flex. While developing 227 her lawyer won her "all rights, courtesies and privileges of an executive producer without the credit." Though the authority she wielded behind the scenes created deep tensions on and off the set, her hard-luck young life had prepared her to succeed even as her tenacity was put to the test. Her experiences laid the groundwork for powerbrokers like Shonda Rhimes and Issa Rae.
An inspiring personal portrait of triumph and Hollywood that reminds us we can leave the past behind, It's Never Too Late is the true tale of a remarkable life and a wise guidebook for aspiring artists, entrepreneurs, and entertainment fans.
Marla Gibbs has been a Hollywood icon for generations of fans. Now, at ninety-three, she chronicles her climb from a difficult youth in which she yearned for safety and love, to the high-stakes world of Hollywood where she became a confident powerbroker learning to work behind the scenes for fair pay, access, and more creative control for herself and her colleagues.
Told in her forthright voice, It's Never Too Late illuminates Gibbs' daring move to Los Angeles to rebuild her life after an abusive marriage, how she became an actor, and how she eventually learned to balance acting with show running. She was a "Boss Bae" decades before the term would become entertainment industry shorthand for a power flex. While developing 227 her lawyer won her "all rights, courtesies and privileges of an executive producer without the credit." Though the authority she wielded behind the scenes created deep tensions on and off the set, her hard-luck young life had prepared her to succeed even as her tenacity was put to the test. Her experiences laid the groundwork for powerbrokers like Shonda Rhimes and Issa Rae.
An inspiring personal portrait of triumph and Hollywood that reminds us we can leave the past behind, It's Never Too Late is the true tale of a remarkable life and a wise guidebook for aspiring artists, entrepreneurs, and entertainment fans.
Reviews / Votes
"Marla Gibbs is one of the great architects of Black television and culture - a woman whose brilliance, humor, and courage helped redefine how we saw ourselves on screen and beyond. It's Never Too Late is a true testament to Ms. Gibbs' resilience, vision, and faith. She takes readers from her turbulent, formative years in Chicago and Detroit, to a stormy life as a young wife who triumphed over spousal physical and mental abuse, to a hard working single mother, who not only held down her day job at an airline reservations center in Los Angeles, but began to simultaneously lay the foundation of a groundbreaking career in Hollywood. From The Jeffersons to 227, Ms. Gibbs didn't just play iconic roles - she created spaces where truth, humor, and dignity could live side by side. It's Never Too Late is right on time - an extraordinary reflection of a woman who opened doors for so many of us, including me, to walk through." - Angela Bassett, Honorary Oscar Recipient, Emmy and NAACP Image Award-winning actress"With the same wit and wisdom that made her most famous character 'Florence Johnston' unforgettable, Marla Gibbs delivers an intimate memoir that reveals the woman behind the laughter. From working multiple jobs to breaking barriers on 'The Jeffersons' and '227,' Ms. Gibbs shares a life lived authentically by raising a family, uplifting her community, building an entrepreneurial legacy and discovering that love, faith and storytelling can transform everything. A must-read for anyone who believes it's never too late to shine, Marla Gibbs' life story is a masterclass in perseverance and grace." - Ava DuVernay, Emmy Award winning Director, Producer and Writer.
Funny, moving, and more than a little inspiring. - Publisher's Weekly
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 135 mm
Weight
295 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-335664-1 (9780063356641)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, five-time Emmy-nominated actress Marla Gibbs wears many hats: mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, actor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and icon. She starred as the witty, wisecracking maid Florence for eleven seasons on the CBS hit comedy, The Jeffersons, and as the loving matriarch Mary on the NBC hit series, 227, where she made history as the executive producer. At 93 years young, she remains active, doing cameos in television and film projects, including This Is Us, NCIS, Days of Our Lives, UnPrisoned, and Will Trent. An eight-time NAACP Image Award winner, Marla continues to receive numerous prestigious honors, including Essence Magazine's Woman of the Year, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Black Filmmaker's Foundation Award, and many more.
Throughout her life, she has poured her resources into the community in numerous ways: opening a jazz supper club, co-founding a performing arts school and theatre with her daughter, and supporting countless community organizations. Beyond acting, Marla's first love is music. She co-wrote and sang the 227 theme song, and in recent years, released her own original jazz album, It's Never Too Late-which is a motto she lives by.
Throughout her life, she has poured her resources into the community in numerous ways: opening a jazz supper club, co-founding a performing arts school and theatre with her daughter, and supporting countless community organizations. Beyond acting, Marla's first love is music. She co-wrote and sang the 227 theme song, and in recent years, released her own original jazz album, It's Never Too Late-which is a motto she lives by.