Halloweentown’s Kimberly J. Brown posted a sweet tribute to her former TV grandma Debbie Reynolds following the legendary actress’ death at age 84 on Wednesday, December 28, one day after her daughter Carrie Fisher‘s death.
Brown, now 32, and Reynolds starred in 1998’s Halloweentown as Marnie Piper and Aggie Cromwell, respectively. In the TV movie, Marnie finds out that her grandmother Aggie is a witch and teams up with her to save supernatural creatures.
“What do you say about a woman who had such an impact on your life both professionally and personally?” Brown wrote on Facebook Wednesday. “Debbie lived her life like all of us should, to the fullest. She was bold, funny, and had the biggest heart. Her sparkly smile warmed every room she was in, and her jokes about her amazing career and life would make your stomach hurt with laughter. Making people happy through her performing was her favorite thing to do, and she showed me at a young age what a gift it is to be able to do that for people.”
Brown further recalled how “talented and wise” Reynolds was, and that she always went out of her way to help others. “She’d try to move huge ladders on set just to help the crew, and looked out for every actor no matter the size their role. Her humility, grace, and care for others inspired me so much as a teen and is something that will always stay with me,” she continued. “‘Being normal is vastly overrated’ is a quote from Halloweentown, and how fitting it is that her character spoke it. Her generosity, talent, and loving spirit made her anything but normal. Thanks for the magic, Debbie. Rest in peace.”
Brown and the Singin’ in the Rain actress reprised their roles in Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001) and Halloweentown High (2004). The franchise also starred Judith Hoag and Joey Zimmerman.
