Stephen Hibbert — stephen hibbert, actor who played The Gimp in Pulp Fiction, dead at 68

stephen hibbert, the actor and writer best known for portraying The Gimp in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, has died. A family member said he suffered a heart attack in Denver, Colorado, on Monday, March 2, and was 68; his children — Ronnie, Rosalind and Greg — released a statement saying their father "passed away unexpectedly this week" and that his life "was full of love and dedication to the arts and his family. He will be dearly missed by many. "

Death details for stephen hibbert

Family members have said the immediate cause was a heart attack in Denver on March 2 and that they are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine further details. The family identified his three children by name and provided the brief statement above. At this time no additional official findings have been made public.

Stephen Hibbert’s career highlights

Born in Fleetwood, England, he began his career as a television writer in the 1980s, starting with work on Late Night with David Letterman, where he contributed across 259 episodes from 1984 to 1986. Over the following years he wrote for a variety of comedy and children’s programs and went on to co-write the 1994 film It's Pat: The Movie, which starred Julia Sweeney. He was married to Julia Sweeney from 1989 to 1994.

Hibbert also worked behind and in front of the camera. He wrote for sketch and sitcom programs and appeared in feature films, including a guard role in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and a small part in The Cat in the Hat. Later credits listed for him included an appearance in National Treasure: Book of Secrets. In Denver he taught improv at the Chaos Bloom Theater and led a film theory course at Denver School of the Arts.

Stephen Hibbert’s role as The Gimp

Hibbert’s most widely remembered performance was his silent turn as The Gimp in Pulp Fiction. The character appears in the basement of a Los Angeles pawn shop, dressed in a latex rubber bodysuit with a zippered hood mask and shackled with a chain; the part involved no spoken lines beyond some grunting. The sequence also featured another performer who appeared in the same scene.

Hibbert’s work as both a writer and performer connected him to improv and comedy circles as well as mainstream films; his death has prompted family remembrance and immediate questions about final autopsy results. If the pending autopsy confirms the heart attack finding, the family’s account will likely remain the principal public record; if it does not, officials may release additional detail later.

He is survived by his three children, who described his life as dedicated to the arts and family and said he will be dearly missed by many.