John Kirby, Celebrity Acting Coach for Chrissy Metz, Jeff Bridges and More, Dies at 75

John Kirby, a renowned acting coach and member of the famed Kirby family, died Wednesday after a multi-year battle with ALS. He was 75. Nathan Nesbitt, a longtime employee of Kirby’s, confirmed the news of his passing, sharing that a celebration of life would be held on Aug.5 at 1 p.m. PT at the Hall of Liberty Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, Calif. Kirby, who was the son of “Columbo” star Bruce Kirby and brother of “The Godfather” and “When Harry Met Sally” actor Bruno Kirby, was known throughout the industry as “An Actor’s Guardian Angel,” given his role a prominent acting coach. He has been described as “a gifted mentor whose insight, compassion and extraordinary understanding of the human experience helped shape generations of performers.” While Kirby started out as an actor at a young age, he went on to have a five-decade career as an acting coach, working with a number of celebrities – including Jeff Bridges, Jim Caviezel, Cameron Diaz, Chrissy Metz, Morris Chestnut, Judith Light and more. Metz, an alum of “This Is Us,” penned a tribute to Kirby on Instagram Saturday, writing, “My John. My mentor. My friend. My cheerleader when there was no chance of winning, my sounding board free of judgment, full of encouragement, and always from a deep place of love. I will never be able to thank you enough for believing in me.” “I will never get over your innate sense of intuition, every single time,” she continued. “In your suffering, you remained a brilliant and selfless teacher who will continue to bring people together. Your legacy will live on in every one of us, always.” Kirby notably coached on location for several high profile films and TV shows, including “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Stick It,” “Peter Pan” and “Scream 4.” “I can’t turn on a television or watch a film without recognizing someone John coached, mentored or influenced,” Nesbitt said in a statement. “His fingerprints are everywhere in this industry. His impact extends far beyond the performances we see on screen—it’s woven into the very fabric of Hollywood.”