[6] Gibson moved to Los Angeles, California, and began working as a model for catalogs, advertisements, and in small roles in film and television.

Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, Gibson began taking acting classes and, in 1979, he was cast as one of the "baseball furies" in the action thriller film The Warriors.

[6] Gibson's long relationship with, and engagement to, model and Wheel of Fortune hostess Vanna White made him a regular fixture in tabloids and celebrity media journalism of the day.

[10][11] White has since cited her relationship with Gibson, and the support she received from fans in the wake of his death, as a particularly formative time in her life and career, directly impacting her perspective on both.

[16] The crash, one of two fatal incidents near the airport that weekend, left Gibson's body so severely burned that identification required dental X-ray comparison.