Donald Gibb, who is best known for his role as “Ogre” in Revenge of the Nerds, has passed away. He was 71 years old.
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The late actor’s son, Travis, revealed to TMZ that he had died at his Texas residence on Tuesday following a series of health complications. Travis noted that Donald’s passing was not sudden and that he loved God and his family, friends, and fans with all of his heart.
Travis and the rest of the Gibb family asked for prayers and privacy during the difficult time. They noted that the actor will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
Born in New York City on August 4, 1954, Gibb went into acting after a car accident ended his promising football career. He earned small, uncredited roles in various films, such as Stripes and Conan the Barbarian, before landing his role in Revenge of the Nerds. He played Ogre in the original film as well as in Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise and Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love.
The actor went on to appear in more than 25 movies, including Jocks and Bloodsport. He starred in the 1992 sitcom Stand By Your Man with Melissa Gilbert and Rosie O’Donnell. He also played small roles in various TV shows, such as Step by Step and The A-Team. The actor portrayed Leslie “Dr. Death” Crunchner” in HBO’s 1st & Ten from 1985 to 1991.
The Actor Spoke About How He Landed the ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ Role During a 2025 Interview
During a 2025 interview with Youngstown Studio, Gibb discussed how he landed his beloved Revenge of the Nerds role and how the casting director was pushing for a different actor to play Ogre.
However, the film’s director, Jeff Kanew, really pushed for him to get the part and helped change the casting director’s mind.
“So, I all of a sudden, I get a call from my buddy, and he says, ‘If you can get down here, shaved, you know — get down here as fast as you can,'” Gibb recalled.
The actor said he shaved and also had “blood squirting out” of his face from close cuts and pieces of toilet paper to cover up the mess.
Following the close shave incident, Gibb said he met with the casting director, who noticed the clean-shaven look and said, “Okay, he can play the college guy.”
Regarding his time in the film’s production, Gibb said, “When we were doing it, we kind of felt like we had something really positive here. We all got along. Everybody was happy. The set was great.”
Gibb’s death comes less than three months after fellow Revenge of the Nerds star Robert Carradine passed away. The fellow actor was also 71 years old.