Stephen Hibbert, the actor and writer best known for playing the eerie character known as “The Gimp” in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic Pulp Fiction, has died. He was 68.
A family member confirmed to TMZ that Hibbert died Monday in Denver, Colorado, after suffering a heart attack.
In a statement, his children Ronnie, Rosalind, and Greg shared their grief over the sudden loss.
“Our father, Stephen Hibbert, passed away unexpectedly this week,” they said. “His life was full of love and dedication to the arts and his family. He will be dearly missed by many.”
While his brief but unforgettable role in Tarantino’s 1994 Oscar-winning film made him recognizable to movie fans around the world, Hibbert had a long career behind the scenes in television.
Born in Fleetwood, England, Hibbert moved into the world of American television during the 1980s. One of his early writing jobs included working on Late Night with David Letterman.
Over the years, he contributed to several popular TV shows, including the sketch comedy series MADtv and the hit sitcom Boy Meets World. He also worked on animated children’s programs and other comedy projects.
Hibbert also wrote the 1994 comedy It’s Pat: The Movie, starring Saturday Night Live alum Julia Sweeney.
Still, for many fans, he will always be remembered for his chilling appearance in Pulp Fiction. In one of the film’s most notorious scenes, Hibbert played the silent character known only as “The Gimp,” a masked captive locked in a pawn shop basement.
Though the role was small, the disturbing moment became one of the movie’s most talked-about scenes and cemented Hibbert’s place in pop culture history.