Donald Gibb who starred in martial art film Bloodsport has died at 71, was he married, did he have kids?
Actor Donald Gibb, who starred in comedy Revenge of the Nerds and martial arts film Bloodsport, has died at 71.
Hollywood actor Donald Gibb, who starred in comedy Revenge of the Nerds and martial arts film Bloodsport, has died at 71. Tributes have been paid to the actor on social media. The Facebook page for That_80s_Dude wrote: “RIP to Donald Gibb (1954 - 2026)
Donald passed away at 71 due to health complications.
“Gibb was one of those guys you instantly recognized the second he showed up on screen.
“Ogre in Revenge of the Nerds.
“Ray Jackson in Bloodsport.
“Absolute mountain of a human being with a personality to match.
“Crazy fact… before acting, Donald Gibb actually had NFL aspirations and even trained with the San Diego Chargers before eventually ending up in Hollywood. Somehow that makes perfect sense.
“The 80s really had these larger than life character actors that made movies feel memorable, and Donald Gibb was absolutely one of them.
“Rest easy, big man. Gen X won’t forget you .”
Donald Gibb was born in New York in 1953 and after being brought up in California, he won a basketball scholarship to the University of New Mexico, he later transferred to the University of San Diego. According to The Hollywood Reporter “ His athletic prowess briefly led him to the NFL, where he played for the San Diego Chargers before a car accident shifted his trajectory toward Hollywood.”
Donald Gibb went on to star in Any Which Way You Can in 1980, Stripes in 1981 and Conan the Barbarian the following year. However, it wasn’t until 1984 that he got his big break when he landed the role as Ogre in Revenge of the Nerds.
As his career progressed, Donald Gibb also appeared in comedies such as Lost in America and Jocks. However, in 1988, he starred as Ray “Tiny” Jackson in Bloodsport which was one of his most noteworthy roles.
In 2020, Donald Gibb told the website Muscle & Fitness that “Coming out of school, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere and wasn’t going to do anything with sports. In college I played basketball; I was a good shooter, but in my sophomore year I had a bad car accident that gave me double vision. I don’t think anybody knew. I played fairly well for what I had to deal with.”
Donald Gibb also revealed that “A guy in the fraternity drove us home from practice, came over a hill, and didn’t stop at a red light. A truck came over another hill and hit us broadside. I was in the passenger seat and had a basal skull fracture. I was pretty messed up—they thought I was going to die. I never got rid of the scar on my face, though, and that worked in the movie business.”
Was Donald Gibb married, did he have children?
Donald Gibb was married to Jacqueline and the couple had two children, a son Travis and a daughter Olivia. His son Travis told TMZ that Donald Gibb passed away due to health complications at his home in Texas, “where he was surrounded by family, including his kids, who loved him deeply.”