Danny McBride and Walton Goggins lead a stacked ensemble of hilarious performers in the cast of HBO’s twisted dark comedy series Vice Principals. Vice Principals revolves around a pair of spiteful and vindictive vice principals both gunning for the top job. When they’re both passed over in favor of an outside hire, they reluctantly join forces to usurp the new principal. Vice Principals was an oddity in the world of TV production, because it wasn’t designed to go on indefinitely; it was designed to last for two seasons, with every single episode written before the first one was shot.

McBride and Goggins proved to be a dynamic duo for the ages in the lead roles of Neal Gamby and Lee Russell. But they were surrounded by terrific supporting players, too. From Busy Philipps to Edi Patterson to Kimberly Hébert Gregory, the Vice Principals cast is full of great actors.

Danny McBride As Neal Gamby

McBride plays the ruthless vice principal in charge of discipline at North Jackson

Danny McBride was born in Statesboro, Georgia, in 1976. He got his big break when his low-budget indie comedy The Foot Fist Way was picked up by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions. McBride co-wrote and starred in the film as taekwondo instructor Fred Simmons.

McBride gained further recognition with roles as Rico Brown in Hot Rod, Red in Pineapple Express, and Cody Underwood in Tropic Thunder. He has starred in the HBO comedies Eastbound & Down as washed-up Major League pitcher Kenny Powers, one of McBride’s most outrageous characters, and The Righteous Gemstones as corrupt pastor Jesse Gemstone. McBride also played Tennessee in Alien: Covenant and a warped version of himself in This is the End.

McBride leads the cast of Vice Principals as Neal Gamby, the ruthless vice principal in charge of discipline at North Jackson. Neal is arrogant and hot-tempered, but he’s also deeply vulnerable. McBride also co-created the series with frequent collaborator Jody Hill and co-wrote every episode of the show’s two seasons.

Walton Goggins As Lee Russell

Goggins plays the duplicitous vice principal of curriculum

Walton Goggins was born in 1971 in Birmingham, Alabama. He first broke out with the role of Detective Shane Vendrell in FX’s police corruption series The Shield. This led to a larger role as Boyd Crowder, the main villain in FX’s neo-western drama Justified.

Goggins is known for other TV roles like The Ghoul in Fallout and the voice of GDA director Cecil Stedman in Invincible. His film roles include Stans in Predators, Chris Mannix in The Hateful Eight, and Sonny Burch in Ant-Man and the Wasp. His work on Justified earned him an Emmy nomination.

In Vice Principals, Goggins plays Gamby’s rival-turned-partner-in-crime Lee Russell, North Jackson’s vice principal of curriculum. Russell is just as self-important and duplicitous as Gamby, but he does a better job of hiding it. Goggins would later reunite with McBride to play Baby Billy Freeman in The Righteous Gemstones.

Kimberly Hébert Gregory As Dr. Belinda Brown

Gregory plays the no-nonsense new principal

Kimberly Hébert Gregory was born in Houston, Texas, in 1972. She got her breakthrough with her role in Vice Principals. Before that, she was principally known as a theater actor.

Elsewhere on TV, Gregory had recurring roles as Veronica Hopkins in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Kyra Hay in Better Call Saul. In films, Gregory has played Nurse Barbara in the coming-of-age romance Five Feet Apart and Tasha White in Miss Virginia. Gregory previously co-starred with McBride when she had a small role as a debt collector in the comedy thriller Arizona.

In Vice Principals, Gregory plays Dr. Belinda Brown, the new principal of North Jackson High. Throughout season 1, Gamby and Russell team up to usurp her. She was part of the main cast in season 1, then had a recurring role in season 2.

Georgia King As Amanda Snodgrass

King plays the English teacher

Georgia King was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1986. She first broke big with the role of Rosamond Oliver in the 2006 TV adaptation of Jane Eyre. She later played surrogate mother Goldie Clemmons in the sitcom The New Normal.

King has played movie roles like Harriet in Wild Child, Lady Teazle in The Duchess, and Juliet in St. Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold. She also played Emma in the notorious box office bomb Cockneys vs Zombies. Her other TV roles include Lianne in Devs, Petra Aberdeen in Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Jess in Vicious.

King plays Amanda Snodgrass, the kind-natured English teacher at North Jackson High, in Vice Principals. Throughout the series, Snodgrass is Gamby’s romantic interest. She remained a part of the main cast from beginning to end.

Edi Patterson As Jen Abbott

Patterson plays the civics teacher

Edi Patterson was born in Texas City, Texas, in 1974. She first broke out with the role of Veronica in the Kelsey Grammer/Martin Lawrence sitcom Partners in 2014. The show was canceled after one season.

Patterson’s film roles include Fran in Knives Out, Miss Aimee in Troop Zero, and Shirl Clarts in Between Two Ferns: The Movie. She voiced Katherine Harbor in the Netflix thriller The Guilty. She also played Wanda Whipple in the Knuckles spin-off series.

In Vice Principals, Patterson plays North Jackson’s civics teacher Jen Abbott. Abbott is obsessed with Gamby and constantly tries to manipulate him into loving her. Patterson later reunited with McBride to play Judy Gemstone in The Righteous Gemstones.

Busy Philipps As Gale Liptrapp

Philipps plays Neal’s ex-wife

Busy Philipps was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1979. She first broke out with the role of Kim Kelly in the short-lived but widely acclaimed dramedy series Freaks and Geeks. The Freaks and Geeks cast famously launched the careers of many future stars, including Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, Martin Starr, and James Franco.

Philipps has played many high-profile TV roles, like Audrey Liddell in Dawson’s Creek, Kacy Corbin in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Laurie Keller in Cougar Town, and Summer Dutkowsky in Girls5eva. In films, she’s played Duffy in The Gift, Jane in I Feel Pretty, and Mrs. George in the musical reimagining of Mean Girls. She also hosted her own talk show, Busy Tonight, on the E! network.

Philipps has a key role in the Vice Principals cast as Neal’s ex-wife, Gale Liptrapp. Gale tries to get along with her ex-husband, but Neal makes it extremely difficult. Still, they can put their differences aside for the sake of their daughter, Janelle.

Shea Whigham As Ray Liptrapp

Whigham plays Gale’s new husband

Shea Whigham was born in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1969. He first achieved fame with the role of Eli Thompson in the HBO crime drama Boardwalk Empire. He later played Joel Theriot in True Detective season 1 and Moe Dammick in Fargo season 3.

Whigham played Agent Michael Stasiak in Fast & Furious, Fast & Furious 6, and F9. He voiced Gwen Stacy’s father George in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and played Jasper Briggs in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. His other film roles include Gus Grissom in First Man, Carl Elway in American Hustle, and Captain Ted Beecham in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Whigham appears in Vice Principals as Gale’s new husband Ray Liptrapp. Ray is always kind and supportive to Neal, but Neal never reciprocates that kindness. Still, Ray never loses his cool.

Vice Principals Supporting Cast & Characters

Mike O’Gorman as Bill Hayden: Gamby’s rival for Snodgrass’ affections, North Jackson’s history teacher Bill Hayden, is played by Mike O’Gorman. O’Gorman is best known for playing Jacob Brianson in Ted Lasso and Luther Tenet in the TV adaptation of True Lies.

Sheaun McKinney as Dayshawn: Sheaun McKinney plays Dayshawn, the cafeteria worker who Gamby often confides in. McKinney has played other TV roles like Malcolm Butler in The Neighborhood, Karvel in Snowfall, and Wayne in Great News.

Ashley Spillers as Janice Swift: Janice Swift, the secretary at North Jackson, is played by Ashley Spillers. Spillers played Elizabeth in Last Vegas, Amy in Two Step, and Olivia in the Netflix comedy Father of the Year.

Susan Park as Christine Russell: Susan Park plays Lee’s wife Christine Russell. Park also played Judy Kim in Always Be My Maybe, Dr. Sally Hong in Life in Pieces, Connie Chen in Fresh Off the Boat, and Linda Park in Fargo season 1.

June Kyoto Lu as Mi Cha: Lee’s overbearing mother-in-law, Mi Cha, is played by June Kyoto Lu. She previously played White Tiger in Big Trouble in Little China and Mrs. Choi in Lady in the Water.

James M. Connor as Martin Seychelles: The drama teacher at North Jackson High, Martin Seychelles, is played by James M. Connor. Connor also played Deputy Commissioner Podolski in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and a Subway rep in Community.

Robin Bartlett as Octavia LeBlanc: North Jackson’s stuck-up English teacher Octavia LeBlanc is played by Robin Bartlett. Bartlett is known for playing Tina Schildkraut in The Fabelmans, Bridget Kearns in Shutter Island, and Debbie Buchman in Mad About You.

Dale Dickey as Nash: Dale Dickey plays Nash, the new principal who takes over in season 2. Dickey also played RoseMarie in the Netflix miniseries Unbelievable and Beverly in the TV reboot of A League of Their Own.

Brian Tyree Henry as Dascious Brown: Dr. Brown’s estranged husband, Dascious, is played by Brian Tyree Henry. Henry is best known for playing Paper Boi in Atlanta, Phastos in Marvel Studios’ Eternals, and Bernie Hayes in the MonsterVerse.

Fisher Stevens as Brian Biehn: Fisher Stevens appears in Vice Principals season 2 as Brian Biehn, a successful novelist who begins dating Amanda after she breaks up with Neal. Stevens is best known for his role as Ben in the Short Circuit movies. He also played Gabriel Kovac in The Good Fight and Hugo Baker in Succession.