{"id":4559,"date":"2026-07-20T20:37:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T20:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=4559"},"modified":"2026-07-20T20:37:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T20:37:01","slug":"john-kirby-celebrity-acting-coach-dies-at-75","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=4559","title":{"rendered":"John Kirby, Celebrity Acting Coach, Dies at 75"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\nJohn Kirby, an actor and acting coach, died Wednesday, three years after being diagnosed with ALS. He was 75.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=4557\">\u2018Scrubs\u2019 Revival Ups Ava Bunn to Series Regular, X Mayo and Joel Kim Booster Exit<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe news was confirmed on Instagram by Nathan Nesbitt, Kirby\u2019s acting studio manager and assistant of 22 years. \u201cI am here to officially, with a broken heart, announce the passing of our beloved John on the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 15, and it has been devastating for all of us, and we\u2019re trying to just find a way to cope,\u201d Nesbitt said.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tKirby was the son of actor Bruce Kirby (\u201cColumbo\u201d) and the brother of actor Bruno Kirby (\u201cThe Godfather,\u201d \u201cWhen Harry Met Sally\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>\n\tKirby was one of Hollywood\u2019s most respected and sought-after acting coaches. He coached members of the entertainment industry including Jeff Bridges, Jim Caviezel, Cameron Diaz, Chrissy Metz, Morris Chestnut, Judith Light, Ren\u00e9e Taylor, Jordin Sparks, Hillary Duff, Jeremy Sumpter, Lewis Tan, Frank Capra, Jessica Marie Garcia, Alyson Stoner and \u201cChicago Fire\u201d star Kara Killmer.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tAdditionally, he coached on location for feature films and television productions. For Walt Disney Pictures, his credits included \u201cThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,\u201d \u201cStick It,\u201d \u201cUnderdog\u201d and \u201cProm.\u201d He also coached on Universal Pictures\u2019 \u201cPeter Pan\u201d and Dimension Films\u2019 \u201cScream 4.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=4555\">Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze Surf Back into Theaters for \u2018Point Break\u2019s\u2019 35th Anniversary \u2013 Film News in Brief<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cI can\u2019t turn on a television or watch a film without recognizing someone John coached, mentored or influenced,\u201d Nesbitt added in an additional statement. \u201cHis fingerprints are everywhere in this industry. His impact extends far beyond the performances we see on screen \u2014 it\u2019s woven into the very fabric of Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\tKirby was first diagnosed with ALS in 2023, following a year of noticing symptoms. He suffered a fall and broken hip that led to his diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tA celebration of life will be held Aug. 15 at 1 p.m. at the Hall of Liberty at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. It will be open to the public.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=4553\">Variety Interview Studio Presented by Google TV Returns to San Diego<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John Kirby, an actor and acting coach, died Wednesday, three years after being diagnosed with ALS. He was 75.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3655],"class_list":["post-4559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","tag-john-kirby"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>John Kirby, Celebrity Acting Coach, Dies at 75 - Relocation Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=4559\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"John Kirby, Celebrity Acting Coach, Dies at 75 - Relocation Observer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"John Kirby, an actor and acting coach, died Wednesday, three years after being diagnosed with ALS. 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