In The Carmichael Show episode ‘Grandma Francis’, Joe (David Alan Grier) takes his two adult sons Jerrod (Jerrod Carmichael) and Bobby (Lil Rel Howery) to visit his mother, Francis Carmichael. When they get there, Grandma Francis talks about ending her life on her terms. She wants her son’s blessing but Joe is hesitant. Jerrod tries to convince Joe to give his blessing with a Michael Jordan retirement analogy. “Don’t make grandma play for the Wizards,” he tells his dad.
Francis is portrayed by Marla Gibbs. The 85-year-old actress is known for her roles on The First Family (Grandma Eddy), 227 (Mary Jenkins), and The Jeffersons (Florence Johnston), among others. Fun fact about Gibbs: She was working as a reservations clerk for United Airlines when she got the role of Florence on The Jeffersons in 1975. She didn’t quit her day job until the show became a hit. The Carmichael Show airs Wednesdays at 9pm on NBC.
