MovieChat Forums > 227 (1985) Discussion > Marla Gibbs...did she really wear wigs?

Marla Gibbs...did she really wear wigs?

posted 19 years ago by road_runner_outsmarts_the_coyote
7 replies | jump to latest

I keep reading things saying that Marla Gibbs wore a wig during most episodes. However, to me her hair looked very real, and I'm positive that she never wore a wig on "The Jeffersons."

[–] christna1 19 years ago

I don't think she did during the first couple of seasons but its pretty obvious she has a wig on later in the seasons; towards the end of the show her hair is short.

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"Happiness is good health and a bad memory."-Ingrid Bergman

[–] actorschmactor2000 19 years ago

There's even an episode where she's seen wigged and wigless. Meeeery has a Billie Holiday fantasy, and Meeeery as Billie is not wearing a wig, she's sporting her short cropped natural do that we see in 227's later years.

[–] sweet1310452 19 years ago

Marla Gibbs wore wigs on both series, but she also wore her own hair at times as well. Her wigs were often an approximation of what her hair would look like if she had a perm. I was kind of surprised to see her with an Afro in some Jeffersons episodes from the 4th and 5th seasons.

In The Hughleys she always wore a wig and even makes mention of it in at least one episode.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] blakhanded 18 years ago

I think Marla Gibbs hairstyle of choice is her short natural afro... the powers that be don't always feel that white audiences will respond well to natural Afrikan hair on women, so black women's head are sometimes shoved into wigs. I saw Marla Gibbs on Ebony and Jet magazine cover sporting the short natural style on separate occasions, so it seems that she preferred that look. Also, Ms. Gibbs did wear wigs during her second year on the Jefferson, it was similar to Isabel Sanford, after a couple of years, she started wearing her hair in what looked like a (pressed, not permed)feathery/wavy style; I don't know what the style is called, but you can tell it is not a wig, because you can actually see her scalp in the part and the texture of her natural hair is evident at the root... I like her best as last season Mary without the wigs, because it seems that she was really taking advantage of accessorising; she was always rocking fantastic earrings and just looked absolutely beautiful.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] SmokyBrownEyes 16 years ago

I know this post is old but there's nothing wrong with sporting a short natural. Florida on Good Times never wore wigs but Willona definately did. Weezy and Florence may have wore wigs but I don't think Helen or Jenny ever did. They had nice hair.