The Jeffersons star Marla Gibbs shocks fans as she hits the gym at 94... 20 years after near-fatal brain aneurysm

The Jeffersons star Marla Gibbs stunned fans this week as she hit up the gym at 94, two decades on from her near-fatal brain aneurysm.

Gibbs, who is a five-time Emmy nominee, cut a sprightly figure as she pumped iron and declared 'it's never too late' to embark on a health kick.

She captioned the 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!!!'

Gibbs looked incredibly youthful as she posed - with her dedication winning plaudits from her celebrity friends.

Terry Crews wrote: 'LETS GOOOOO' while Arsenio Hall commented: 'You go gurl.'

Gibbs starred as Florence Johnston, George Jefferson's maid, on The Jeffersons from 1975 to 1985 alongside late costars Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford and Roxie Roker.

Gibbs also starred on the show's spin-off Checking In (1981) and the NBC sitcom 227 (1985–1990).

She has also appeared on TV shows including Pryor's Place, Barney Miller, A Different World, Martin and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

In recent years, she's had cameos on shows such as Young Sheldon, One Day at a Time and Bless This Mess, as well as reprising 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. 

In memoir, Never Too Late, Gibbs opened up about her medical crisis in 2006 and her long and painful 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. As I said before, I’m Gemini and my mind is always curious and always working ... not always for the better.

'For instance, I did not want to use the diapers while in rehab. I wanted to go to the bathroom on my own. 

'The bathroom was right next to my bed so I could not understand why I needed help to get there. Every time they would leave the room, I would sneak out of the bed and end up on the floor.

'My family finally had to ask them to tie me 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. 

'I said to myself, “Marla we gotta stop ending up down here, we’re not getting anywhere.” There was just something inside me that kept saying, “It ain't over.” But when I got home and looked at the old woman staring back at me in the mirror I said, “Maybe it is over.” Maybe my days as an actress are gone.'

Gibbs threw herself into recovery which took 'every ounce of physical, mental and spiritual strength I could muster. I started questioning why it happened, especially when I still had so many plans for my life.'

'Acceptance of where I was in my recovery was essential to me healing, and I think acceptance is key to healing in life.'

Her acting career soon resumed and the star was most recently seen on screen in a 2026 episode of Chicago Med.