Kimberly Hébert Gregory, an actress celebrated for her performance in HBO’s “Vice Principals,” passed away on October 3. She was 52 years old.
Gregory’s former husband and actor Chester Gregory shared the news of her passing via a Facebook post.
“Kimberly Hébert Gregory / You Were the Embodiment of Brilliance, / A Black Woman Whose Mind Illuminated Every Space, / Whose Essence Carried Both Passion And Grace. / You Taught Us Courageous Lessons, / In Creativity, In Endurance, / And In How To Remain Resilient, / Even When Life Tried to Take More Than Its Share,” he expressed.
Born in 1972 in Houston, Gregory was a graduate of The High School for Performing and Visual Arts. She went on to Mount Holyoke College, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and later pursued a master’s degree in social work at the University of Chicago. While in Chicago, she participated in numerous productions with local theater companies and was nominated for best supporting actress in a play at the 1998 Joseph Jefferson Awards Equity Branch for her role in “Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery.”
Gregory’s film career began with “I Think I Love My Wife,” featuring Kerry Washington and Chris Rock. In the 2000s, she made guest appearances on various television series including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Gossip Girl,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Law & Order,” “Barry,” “The Act,” “Dollface,” “Better Call Saul,” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
Gregory had a recurring role in “Devious Maids” before becoming a regular on “Vice Principals,” where she played the character of school principal Dr. Belinda Brown alongside Danny McBride and Walton Goggins.
In a tribute on Instagram on October 4, Goggins remembered Gregory as “one of the finest talents I’ve ever collaborated with.”
“I had the privilege… the great fortune of having known and spent months working with this Queen on ‘Vice Principals,‘” he said. “She brought laughter like no other. A consummate professional. A tenacious SOPRANO that never dropped a note.”
She is survived by her former husband and her son.
