Kimberly Hébert Gregory (1972-2025)
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Actor Kimberly Hébert Gregory passed away on October 3 at the age of 52. She got her professional start in Chicago and appeared in a number of Chicago Theatre Company (CTC) productions in the late 1990s, including TRAIN IS COMING and A RED DEATH. For her performance as “Daughter” in CTC’s production of SHAKIN’ THE MESS OUTTA MISERY, she earned a Black Theatre Alliance Award and was nominated for a 1998 Jeff Award. Kimberly went on to appear in THE AMEN CORNER (Goodman), THE HOT L BALTIMORE (Steppenwolf) and SCAPIN (Court Theatre).
Outside of Chicago, Kimberly’s theatre work included GEE’S BAND and ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA (Hartford Stage); and THE VER**ZON PLAY and BROTHER/SISTER PLAYS (The Public Theatre). In 2012, she was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play and a Lucille Lortel award for her performance in the original production of BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK (Second Stage); she later reprised the role at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. She also appeared in GODDESS (Eugene O'Neill Theater Center); BARBECUE and BLACK SUPER HERO MAGI MAMA (Geffen). In 2006, she was selected to participate in the Sundance Institute Theatre Laboratory. In collaboration with the Geffen Playhouse, Kimberly founded the theater non-profit, the Black Rebirth Collective (BRC) in 2017, which was created to provide “a safe space” for Black women in the arts “to hone their skill” while necessarily taking the risks required to build “self-confidence in the work and in the failure.” Kimberly's first film role was in Chris Rock's romantic comedy I THINK I LOVE MY WIFE, after which she appeared in RED HOOK SUMMER (with Spike Lee), WHITE ALLIGATOR and FIVE FEET APART. On TV, she appeared in EARLY EDITION, GOSSIP GIRL, LAW & ORDER, GREY’S ANATOMY, PRIVATE PRACTICE, TWO AND A HALF MEN, THE CHI and THE BIG BANG THEORY, among others. She had a recurring role in DEVIOUS MAIDS, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE and BETTER CALL SAUL. She then went on to be a series regular in VICE PRINCIPALS and KEVIN (PROBABLY) SAVES THE WORLD. She also voiced roles in the animated series CRAIG OF THE CREEK and CAROL & THE END OF THE WORLD. Kimberly Hébert was born on December 7, 1972, in Houston, the youngest of three. She graduated from The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in her native Houston. She received a BA in psychology from Mount Holyoke College in 1994, spent a term at The Theatre School at DePaul University for an MFA in acting, and earned a master's in social work from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago in 2002. She is survived by her son Chester Gregory III and former husband Chester Gregory. |