Mary Hurley Jenkins

infobox character
colour = Pink


portrayer = Marla Gibbs
cause = Series canceled
creator = Christine Houston
Marla Gibbs
episode = 116 ("227")
occupation = Housewife (1963-1989)
Part-time worker (1989-19??)
gender = Female
species = Humanality
title = Lead Character
alias = Mary May Hurley
friend = Rose Lee Holloway
Pearl Shay
age = 49 (series beginning)
54 (series ending)
born = 1936
children = Brenda Jenkins
family = Lester Jenkins (husband)
Brenda Jenkins (daughter)
Carolyn Hurley (mother)
Henry Hurley (father)
spouse = Lester Jenkins (1962-19??)
Portrayed by = Marla Gibbs

Mary Hurley Jenkins was the lead character on the situation comedy, "227", she was portrayed by Marla Gibbs, who shot to fame, when she joined the cast in 1977 until 1985 as sharp-tounged Florence on the award-winning series, "The Jeffersons", which she stayed for eight memorable seasons. Marla Gibbs had earned five Emmy Award nominations for her work on the sitcom.

Character Background

Mary Jenkins was born around 1936, and was a Washington, D.C. resident, and lives in an Apartment building numbered "227". She was a sharp-tongued house-wife (traits from "The Jeffersons"' character, Florence) and mostly she gossips with her friends, Rose Lee Holloway, and Pearl Shay. Mary also disliked one of the building's tenants, vamp, Sandra Clark, who dresses in wild and sexy clothes, and have a nasally voice, who was also "man-wise", but Mary and Sandra both learn to like each other during the series' five-year run.

Mary also raised a family in the apartment building, her veteran husband, Lester Jenkins (who in an episode, was implied that her and Lester was married since 1962), and fourteen year old studious daughter, Brenda Jenkins. In a couple of episodes, Mary is known to be sometimes very offensive, in one particular episode, Mary writes a letter to the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, who she told in the letter that no one has filled in a pothole on her block, and vehicles and automobiles keep crashing into each other. The letter was sent, and then a Secret Service agent (Leslie Nielsen), came asking Mary all types of questions, and then walked out. The next day, Rose, Pearl and Sandra are not speaking to her, because Mary had sent a letter (but they asked to be in it). The President of the United States writes a letter saying that he will personally fill the Pothole, then Mary's friends wanted to be on her side.

The day after, the residents of the apartment building, dresses up, waiting to meet Ronald Reagan, but the Secret Service agent informed Mary that he will be late due to an Emergency meeting, also the Secret Service agent gives Mary an Honor Award, for her approval.

Another time in the series was Mary and her friends Rose and Pearl were gossiping the evil of playing the lottery. Mary did voiced her opinions and said it the lottery is "a waste of time". The next night, at the apartment, Mary's husband, Lester comes home and gives Mary a lottery ticket, and she wins $10. Mary got into the joy of the lottery at the local supermarket, and discovered Sandra, her "man-wise", sexy and nemesis-like neighbor spotted Mary with a lottery ticket in her hand, but Sandra threatened to tattle on Mary.

The next evening, Mary is nervous and shocked that Sandra discovered her with the lottery ticket in her hand, so Mary loses all of her confidence and pride in her. Mary's friends, Rose and Pearl comes to the apartment and argue about watching the winning numbers on TV. Sandra, unexpectedly finds both Rose and Pearl at Mary's apartment and pushed Mary to the breaking point, and tells Rose and Pearl that she bought a lottery ticket. Rose and Pearl are irate over this revelation, and become further upset as the drawing airs and it turns out the lottery numbers announced are the very same ones Mary chose. Sandra leaves in a huff when none of the numbers she selected match, and Rose and Pearl follow soon after. But they quickly return when another of the numbers announced is a match. Mary is deeply upset about the whole ordeal and generously offers to split the winnings equally with a delighted Rose and Pearl. Mary does indeed win when all of the numbers are announced, but discovers she is not the only citizen in Washington, D.C. who won the lottery. Other citizens in the D.C. area won as well, including some of 227's tenants. Then, the announcer claims everyone who won the lottery would get $264.01, and when Lester divides that to Mary and Rose and Pearl, each get $88.00. Mary denounces the lottery again, stating that their friendship was almost ruined over $88.01. Pearl then asks "Who gets the penny?", to which Rose humorously replies, "I'll flip you for it." at the end of the episode.

Marla Gibbs' character was mostly based on her breakout role as Florence Johnston in "The Jeffersons".