‘Jackée Was Pissed’: Kym Whitley Says She Snuck Onto the Set of 227 — Then Crowd Mistook Her for Jackée Harry’s Sister and Things Got Messy
For years, people would often get Kym Whitley and Jackée Harry confused or think the two were related somehow, due to their striking resemblance.
The two ladies have a great rapport now and even lean into the jokes. But the initial reaction was not as sweet.
In a May 21 interview with the “We Sound Crazy” podcast, Whitley explained why Harry didn’t like her when they first worked together on “227.”
She arrived in Los Angeles, discovered where the sitcom was filming, and headed to set.
She hoped to use the uncanny resemblance to her advantage.
Some would say Whitley got her start in Hollywood as Harry’s look-alike body double in “227” episode 4 of season 4, “Double Your Pleasure,” which aired in November 1988.
The 63-year-old Whitley was 17 at the time and sneaked into the studio audience because she didn’t initially have a ticket.
“I never forget I’m sitting in the seat,” she said. “You know the warm-up person? I don’t know how none of this works. The warm up person ask questions like, ‘Hey, who’s from whatever?’”
@goldenerastories From that chance encounter with Marla Gibbs and Jackée Harry, Kym Whitley the actress was born. She went on to secure a series of guest and recurring roles in sitcoms and even landed movies. (
: @wesoundcrazy) #kymwhitley #80s #tv #twins #destiny
It was at that moment that someone asked a question that would change her life.
Whitley said, “Simone Sheffield. Never forget. She raised her hand. And she asked the warm-up dude, she said, ‘I want to know if that girl right there is Jackée’s sister.’”
The warm-up guy asks Whitley to stand, and after she greeted the audience “227” star Marla Gibbs spotted her.
“Marla Gibbs sees me. She on the floor. I just stood up and I said, ‘No, I’m from Cleveland. You know, my name’s Kim Willie.’ Marla Gibbs said to somebody, ‘Go get that girl and bring her back here.’”
Whitley was scared she’d get in trouble for sneaking into the audience, thinking what she would say if the show star
“Marla Gibbs asks, ‘Well, what are you doing here? Well, are you an actress?’ Blah, blah, blah. When I tell you I was like, ‘Yes, I’m an actress [but] ain’t done nothing.’”
Gibbs seemed to believe Whitley and told her that they would need her for an upcoming shoot.
“It’s a episode where Jackée had a twin sister. And I played her double. I didn’t actually get to be on television because I wasn’t in the union or whatever, but I don’t know nothing.”
Whitley said while shooting, “I was doing everything and anything. And Jackée got mad because I’m upstaging her. And the audience is cracking up. I was like, whatever. I don’t know. She doesn’t know that I don’t know. I’m green.”
She added, “The audience is dying. Jackée was pissed.”
She was allegedly so upset that even when she tried to come on set afterwards, Whitley was told Harry didn’t want her on the set.
The stage manager at the time, Ken Whittingham, would place Whitley behind the bleachers to watch the show. And not in a seat with the audience.
She was even warned by Richard Lawson, who played Harry’s love interest. “He was like, ‘You better get your ass off this set.’ But I didn’t want to. I loved it,” said Whitley.
Before continuing, Whitley took a moment to clarify the status of her and Harry’s relationship today.
She admitted, “Jackée has apologized. I’ve apologized. We are cool.”
When things got “really bad” filming with Harry on set, Whitley said Gibbs stepped in. She explained that Gibbs and Harry had a power struggle themselves since it was Gibbs’ show but Harry was the star.
“But Mara pulls me into a closet on set [and says] ‘Cut. Come here.’”
She recalled Gibbs telling her, “‘Don’t you let her disrespect you again.’ She said, ‘We can’t finish this show without you.’ She said, ‘If she disrespects you again, you walk off the set.’ Now, y’all got to understand this. My first thing. I’m so excited. I was like, ‘She could disrespect me. I don’t care. I just want to be here. Disrespect me.’ But Marla was like, ‘No, no, no.’ Hey, she’s giving me a lesson.”
Fans reacted to the story saying, “Woooow! THIIIS is the only kinda tea I enjoy! I love the BTS stories.”
“So basically Marla got her lick back,” said another fan referring to her power struggle with Harry.
Someone else admitted, “I still can’t tell the difference.”
A person who though the same thing said, “I sat through half the video wondering why they’re talking about Jackee in the third person.”
Another tagged Harry and wrote, “@jackeeharry was you pissed? We need your truth.”
Harry, 69, hasn’t spoken of the situation or shared her side yet, but she certainly seemed to put it all behind her. Fast-forward to 2015, she actually guest-starred on one of Whitley’s shows called “Young & Hungry.” In the show, she played Whitley’s sisters.