How ‘Pulp Fiction’ found its gimp: “I felt like I’d been training all of my life for a role like that”
Quentin Tarantino is known for writing roles in his scripts specifically for actors to play, but needless to say, that didn’t apply to Pulp Fiction when he was on the hunt for the perfect gimp.
In most cases, auditions for movies and TV shows are pretty straightforward. A performer comes in and reads lines or scenes in front of a producer, casting director, or filmmaker, and they either get the job or don’t. Finding his leather-clad submissive was a similar process, albeit wildly different from the norm.
It’s an interesting and curious thought to imagine that day of pre-production, with Tarantino putting people through their paces in the hopes of finding the ideal candidate to spend the entirety of their scant screentime clad head-to-toe in leather, with their only dialogue, if you can even call it that, being some grunting and squealing.
The gimp wasn’t exactly the kind of part every aspiring actor in the business would be falling over themselves to play, which helps explain a little why the role was ultimately awarded to a happily married comedian who was part of the repertory that also gave the likes of Jennifer Coolidge, Will Ferrell, Lisa Kudrow, and Kristen Wiig their big break.
“He would guest at the improv show on Thursday nights,” Groundlings Theatre alum Stephen Hibbert told AARP, recalling how Tarantino became a frequent visitor in the early 1990s. “He was pretty much the same then as now, hilarious, endlessly curious and passionate about film.” Hibbert was married to Julia Sweeney at the time, and as “moviegoing buddies,” the director “asked us to audition for Pulp Fiction.”
Whereas Sweeney ended up playing the minor role of Racquel in Tarantino’s Academy Award-winning masterpiece, Hibbert read for the gimp. He didn’t have any lines, but that didn’t stop him from approaching the audition with the required amount of gusto, regardless of how weird a mental picture it may paint.
“Quentin and I acted out a master and slave scenario for the casting director,” he explained. “He bossed me around the office, and I grovelled. I felt like I’d been training all of my work life for an opportunity to audition for a role like that.” His leather-clad dreams were swiftly realised, and to add even more authenticity to a character who says nothing but still leaves a mark on the movie, Hibbert even wore “a little fat suit” under his costume so the gimp looked a touch on the paunchy side.
Why? Fuck knows, in all honesty, since he didn’t clarify whether that was his idea or Tarantino’s. One thing that definitely can’t be faulted is Hibbert’s commitment to the gig, seeing as he was also the one who concocted the gimp’s backstory, playing the role as if his masters had cut out his tongue. Again, not something audiences would pick up on, but he was all-in nonetheless.
Hibbert’s on-camera experience before Pulp Fiction amounted to a handful of TV episodes, with his feature debut becoming his most famous contribution to cinema, even though you can’t see his face. He’s still dining out on it, too, with the actor attending conventions and festivals to capitalise on his 15 minutes of leathery, unsettling fame. Funnily enough, “lots of people are taken aback by the fact I’m such a family man,” and it’s not difficult to figure out why that comes as a surprise.
Never Miss A Take
The Far Out Quentin Tarantino Newsletter
All the latest Quentin Tarantino content from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.