Whatever Happened To Deron McBee, Malibu From 'American Gladiators'?

Ever wonder what happened to a famous celebrity from your past? Maybe it was someone you saw on TV years ago or someone you grew up watching or reading about.

No matter how big or small the person may be, we all have someone we would like to know more about. And no matter how you heard about them, chances are that you haven’t seen or heard much from them in a while.

Deron McBee is such a celebrity, and many people are curious about what he’s up to now. He was an actor and participant of American Gladiators in 1993.

At 6’5" and 240 pounds, Deron was known for his size and strength on the show with the nickname "Malibu."

If you ever watched the show, you’re probably wondering what happened to him. After all, it’s unusual for someone to be in the spotlight like he was, and then disappear without a trace!

In this article, we explore what Deron McBee is doing now with his life and career. We also look at his time on the show and answer questions about his personal life. If you’re curious about what happened to Deron McBee, keep reading to find out!

Who is Deron McBee?

Deron Michael McBee’s birthday is variously reported as being August 23, 1961, or August 23, 1960, depending on which reference source you choose. Prior to his time as an actor, he was a professional racquetball player for three years.

Racquetball is a sport where players use a racquet and hit a hollow rubber ball against the walls of a court. It requires skill, agility, and endurance – skills that would transfer nicely into American Gladiators.

Not much is publicly known about his personal life and early childhood, like where he went to school and where he was born. For this reason, we may say he hails from "parts unknown."
Regardless, he must’ve made quite an impression as an athlete.

After his successful racquetball career, he was invited to join American Gladiators in 1989.

Deron McBee’s time as Malibu on American Gladiator

American Gladiator was a TV show that aired on NBC in the late 80s and early 90s. It was a game show/contestant competition which pitted athletic men and women against one another in competitions of physical skill and determination.

The show had a broad cultural impact and was an iconic part of American popular culture at the time. For example, the show was spoofed in 1993 on Saturday Night Live with Adam Sandler and David Spade.

The Gladiators were not well paid at the start of the show. They began with a salary of $800 per show and a promise that a portion of the winnings from each event would be added to their total compensation.

However, as the show became more popular over time, this promised prize and low show budget did not seem to relate to the amount of success the actors felt they were having.

They staged a strike and were ultimately able to have their pay raised to $1000 per show, after halting production with their walkout.

McBee was a contestant and Gladiator for the first three seasons of the show (1989-1991/1992). His physicality and strength made him an ideal candidate for the role of Malibu, one of the strongest male Gladiators.

Malibu received his nickname from Gladiator’s producers, who said that Malibu’s muscular build reminded them of a surfer riding a wave. Deron later admitted that he never surfed a day in his life.

In addition to being known for his size and power, he is remembered as one of the more popular Gladiators of the show’s tenure. This is because he effortless evinced a laid-back "surfer dude" style during his segments on the show, and was well-liked by producers and viewers alike.

McBee also had karate skills and his skill with a sword. He trained with a professional hand-to-hand combat instructor in his downtime.

In 1989, McBee was badly injured in the Human Cannonball event. He was hit directly in the chest by another player, causing significant injuries including: two broken ribs, a broken thumb, a concussion of course plastic surgeon and a torn bicep.

Deron reveals that he had to beg doctors to let him go back on the show, because they feared another concussion could ultimately lead to his death.

This led to another contestant, named Bronco, to fill in for him as an injury replacement or stand-in.

While Deron did eventually return to American Gladiators, his tenure on the show was short lived as he finished the first season and moved on to acting.

Post-American Gladiator Career

(Deron McBree as Motaro in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation)

Acting was McBee’s true passion, which led to his departure from American Gladiator. His first role was in the movie "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation."

He made appearances after that on shows like "Roswell" and "Batman Forever." His most notable role came when he played Motaro in the second Mortal Kombat film.

In addition to these roles, McBee has a massive list of credits. He actually first began his acting career in 1988 as a "Las Vegas Muscleman" in "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark." He also starred as a policeman in "Married… with Children."

McBee is still acting – at least, in some capacity. His most recent role was as himself in a web show called "Black Dynamite Teaches a Hard Way!," and he also has credits in some horror movies, as recently as 2008.

He also became a professional wrestler for a while and was known as "Kid Fury."

Deron also suffered a catastrophic injury while working on a show. A stunt man was suppose to fall from 10 feet and distrubte his weight among four people, including Deron. However the stuntman fell long and Deron had to catch him in his arms.

Deron reveals it felt like a Harley Davidson had hit him and he herniated 7 discs, crushed a vertebrae and blew out both his knees. It took him a year and a half to make an almost full recovery.

While recovering from his injuries, Deron mentions the time off from work helped him reflectm, get more spiritually deep and get closer to God.

What Is Deron McBree Doing Now?

Deron McBee is a devout Christian and devotes a significant amount of time to Christian ministry.

According to IMDB, McBee credits his great strength and fitness to a combination of all-natural workouts and prayer and faith.

He has two beautiful daughters that he raises on his own.

Most recently Deron has been hosting his own podcast called ‘The Issues Of Life". The podcast is about ‘CURRENT AFFAIRS, and dealing with ADDICTION and RECOVERY from a decidedly CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW."

Deron also pursues another passion – painting – in his free time.

Personal life

Deron McBee married Drzan Denea Ashford, and the two remained married until 2003 when she passed away. We couldn’t confirm her cause of death as there are conflicting claims that she died of a heart attack or from cancer.

(Deron McBree’s Wife, Drzan Ashford McBree)

Drzan was a former professional wrestler and Radierette. She starred in a documentary called "Body Slam: The Making of a Professional Wrestler."

Deron McBee has two daughters with Drzan.

(Deron McBree and his daughter)

Misc Deron McBree Facts

Deron McBree was the ‘Warrior’ in the Dragonstrike VHS tape. Dragon Strike is a board game based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game that was released in 1993.
In an interview with The Hannibal TV, Deron admits to using steroids and said he cycled Winsterol and Decca back in the day. He said that combination got him ‘hard as a rock and ripped to shreds.’