Who’s Still Alive From ‘227’?

227, (back, from left): Curtis Baldwin, Marla Gibbs, Hal Williams, Regina King, Kia Goodwin, (front): Jackee Harry, Helen Martin, Alaina Reed, (1987), 1985-90 — Columbia Pictures Television/Everett Collection

From 1985 to 1990, viewers spent five seasons with the residents of 227 Lexington Place, a Washington, D.C., apartment building where neighbors gathered on the stoop to trade stories, advice and plenty of gossip. The NBC sitcom centered on Mary Jenkins (Marla Gibbs), her husband Lester (Hal Williams) and their daughter Brenda (Oscar-winner Regina King), but their neighbors Sandra Clark (Jackée Harry), Rose Lee Holloway (Alaina Reed Hall), Pearl Shay (Helen Martin) and Calvin Dobbs (Curtis Baldwin) were just as memorable.

Following Williams’ death on July 15, 2026, four of the seven cast members featured here are still alive. Here is what they have been doing since 227 ended after five seasons and 116 episodes.

Marla Gibbs (95) as Mary Jenkins

Mario Casilli/TV Guide/Columbia/Everett Collection; Gilles Mingasson/Disney+/Everett Collection

Gibbs was already famous as Florence Johnston on The Jeffersons when she began starring as sharp-tongued homemaker Mary Jenkins. Gibbs also worked as a producer on 227 and co-wrote and sang its theme song, “There’s No Place Like Home.” She has continued acting in shows including The Hughleys, Black-ish, Grey’s Anatomy and Young Sheldon. In February 2026, she released her memoir, It’s Never Too Late, which features a foreword by Regina King. Gibbs celebrated her 95th birthday on June 14, 2026.

Regina King (55) as Brenda Jenkins

Columbia Pictures Television/Everett Collection; Max/Everett Collection

King was only 14 when 227 premiered, and playing Mary and Lester’s teenage daughter Brenda was her first acting role. She went on to appear in films including Boyz n the Hood, Poetic Justice, Jerry Maguire and Ray. King has won four Primetime Emmy Awards and an Academy Award for her performance in If Beale Street Could Talk. More recently, she played Shirley Chisholm in Shirley (2024) and appeared in Caught Stealing (2025). King is also set to play Queen Nehanda in Children of Blood and Bone, scheduled for release on January 15, 2027.

Jackée Harry (69) as Sandra Clark

Everett Collection; Tyler Golden/Fox/Everett Collection

Harry stole scenes as Mary’s glamorous neighbor Sandra Clark. In 1987, the role made her the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. After leaving 227, she found another long-running sitcom role as Lisa Landry on Sister, Sister. Since 2021, Harry has played Paulina Price on Days of Our Lives, and she guest-starred during the second season of Netflix’s A Man on the Inside in 2025.

Curtis Baldwin (58) as Calvin Dobbs

Columbia Pictures Television/Everett Collection; Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

Baldwin played Pearl’s teenage grandson Calvin Dobbs, who eventually became Brenda’s boyfriend. His other television credits include Family Matters (1989), Moesha (1996) and A Black Lady Sketch Show (2019). More recently, he played Julius in the comedy Bomb Pizza (2023), on which he also served as an associate producer.

In Memoriam

227, (back, from left): Curtis Baldwin, Helen Martin, Jackee (aka Jackee Harry), Hal Williams, (front): Kia Goodwin, Alaina Reed Hall, Marla Gibbs, Regina King, 1985-90

Columbia Pictures Television/Everett Collection

Hal Williams, who played Mary’s husband Lester Jenkins and the Jenkins family patriarch, died of natural causes at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, on July 15, 2026, at age 91.

Alaina Reed-Hall, who played Mary’s close friend Rose Lee Holloway and the building’s landlady, died from breast cancer on December 17, 2009, at age 63.

Helen Martin, who played the sharp-tongued Pearl Shay, died from a heart attack on March 25, 2000, at age 90.