Kimberly Hébert Gregory, a versatile actor whose work spanned film, television, and voice acting, has died. She was 52.
Her death was confirmed by her ex-husband, actor and singer Chester Gregory, who shared the news in a heartfelt tribute on social media. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
“Kimberly Hébert Gregory, you were brilliance embodied — a Black woman whose mind lit every room, whose presence carried both fire and grace,” he wrote. “You taught us lessons in courage, in artistry, in resilience, and in how to keep showing up, even when life demanded more than its share.”
Born in Houston, Texas, Hébert Gregory began her on-screen career with 2007’s I Think I Love My Wife before going on to appear in dozens of television series. Her TV credits include Private Practice, Grey’s Anatomy, The Chi, Shameless, Law & Order, Barry, Better Call Saul, The Big Bang Theory, New Amsterdam, and All Rise, among others.
She also had recurring roles in Devious Maids and Vice Principals — the latter marking her breakout. On the HBO dark comedy, she played Dr. Belinda Brown, a no-nonsense principal whose leadership and authority put her at odds with two scheming vice principals, played by Danny McBride and Walton Goggins.
Reflecting on that role during a 2016 Television Critics Association panel, Hébert Gregory said, “We have to be open … I want to be in a space where I can fight with two white boys. I want us in the industry … to get past and be open and really reach for that idea of equality.”
Following news of her passing, Goggins remembered her as “one of the best I’ve ever worked with,” writing on Instagram, “She made me laugh like no other. A professional’s professional. A soprano that never missed a note.”
On film, she appeared in Red Hook Summer, directed by Spike Lee, and Five Feet Apart opposite Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse. She also starred in Miss Virginia, alongside Uzo Aduba and Aunjanue Ellis.
Most recently, she voiced characters in Cartoon Network’s Craig of the Creek and its spinoff Jessica’s Big Little World.