Kirby Heyborne (born October 8, 1977) is an American actor, musician, singer, songwriter, narrator and comedian. He is known for his work in films centered around the culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Heyborne has also worked extensively as an audiobook narrator, narrating more than 300 books. He has won two Odyssey Awards and an Audie Award for Middle Grade Title. In 2015, Booklist named him a Voice of Choice narrator.

Early life and education

Heyborne graduated from Alta High School in 1995 where he was student body president. He is a member of the LDS Church and served as a missionary for the church in the Dominican Republic. He later graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Economics.

Career

Heyborne is both an actor and a musician; he has released several CDs on which he sings and plays the guitar. But he did not become widely popular in the LDS Church community until his starring role in the film The R.M. (2003). His first appearance in a non-LDS film was as "Teddy" in The Three Stooges (2012). He has narrated many novels, short stories, and non-fiction titles. Heyborne generated some controversy in the Latter-day Saint community in 2008 after deciding to appear in a Miller Lite beer commercial. Devout members of the LDS Church do not drink alcohol, and his appearance in a beer commercial was perceived as hypocritical. Heyborne stated that he would prefer to act only in roles aligned with his faith but was unable to predict which offers he might receive. He interpreted the Miller Lite opportunity as an answer to prayer, and a way to feed his family. He was later denied the chance to play at LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University (BYU), where he had often played in the past, allegedly due to his involvement with the commercial. He also had appeared in a Best Buy commercial in late-summer 2013, promoting sales for Verizon phones for an upcoming back-to-school sale. This commercial aired during the CBS primetime lineup on August 26, 2013. In 2019, he began as host for a new show on BYUtv called Making Good.

Awards and honors

In 2015, Booklist named Heyborne a Voice of Choice narrator, noting that he has a "skill at voicing accents and dialects, perhaps enhanced by his musical knowledge and ear, comes up frequently in reviews."

Awards

"Best of" lists

Works

Filmography

Discography