Kirby Heyborne:Mormon Actor
Kirby Heyborne is an American actor, singer-songwriter, comedian, and award-winning audiobook narrator. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Heyborne was born on October 8, 1976, in Evanston, Wyoming. He was student body president at Alta High School in Sandy, Utah. He graduated in 1995 and then served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ to the Dominican Republic.
He began studying music at the University of Utah but changed his major after his father told him supporting a family with a music degree would be hard. Heyborne earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Utah.
He worked for a time training agent on securities and mutual funds. With his success in Singles Ward (2002), he quit his full-time job and jumped into acting. Heyborne has been in several Latter-day Saint–themed films, including The R.M. (2003), Saints and Soldiers (2003), The Best Two Years (2003), The Book of Mormon Movie, Volume 1: The Journey (2003), Praise to the Man (2006), and Midway to Heaven (2011). His first non–Latter-day Saint film was the FOX feature The Three Stooges.
He starred in the award-winning boy band mockumentary Sons of Provo, and the award-winning quixotic comedy Pirates of the Great Salt Lake. He was a regular on Fox’s series Free Ride.
He has appeared in numerous nationwide commercial campaigns, including Target Christmas commercials and a Honda campaign featuring Mario Andretti. Although he is a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ, he appeared in a Miller Lite beer commercial in 2008, which generated some controversy in the Latter-day Saint world.
Heyborne also enjoys a successful musical career. He has released several successful albums (“Inside,” “Braver Days,” “Merry White Tree in the Night,” “The Elm Tree”), performed across the country, and has songs featured in four films.
He is the co-founder and director of the L.A.-based improv comedy group “The Society.” He is also the co-founder, co-producer, co-director, and co-writer of kerBLINK, a new video channel.
Heyborne also works as a narrator for audiobooks, such as "Almost Perfect, Among Thieves, Ender’s Game, Jim Henson Biography", and "Scowler", which won a 2014 ALA Odyssey Award.
In 2019, he became the host of a BYUtv show called “Making Good,” in which he travels across America using his sense of humor and heart to help non-profit organizations to make a difference in their communities.
Near the end of 2022, Heyborne received an email from RootsTech organizers asking if he would be interested in serving as the event’s main emcee. Heyborne was thrilled to be considered and was hired. He has served as emcee since that time.
Heyborne married his high school sweetheart, Trish. They have one son and two daughters.
Heyborne’s mother passed away in 1999 from cancer. He donates part of his CD sales to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
