John Kirby, beloved celebrity acting coach and Bruce Kirby's son, dies of ALS

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Set us as preferred John Kirby, a veteran acting coach and son of actor Bruce Kirby, died Wednesday after a three-year battle with ALS.He was 75.His longtime assistant and caregiver Nathan Nesbitt confirmed his death to The Times on Monday.

“I can’t turn on a television or watch a film without recognizing someone John coached, mentored or influenced,” Nesbitt said in his obituary.“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.”Throughout his career, Kirby earned the nickname “Actor’s Guardian Angel.” His acting philosophy — grounded on creating a safe space for performers to approach each role without fear while protecting the artist — was used by Jeff Bridges, Jim Caviezel, Cameron Diaz, Morris Chestnut, Hilary Duff and Chrissy Metz.His extensive work with Caviezel spanned numerous films such as “The Thin Red Line” (1998), “Angel Eyes” (2001), “The Count of Monte Cristo” (2002), “High Crimes” (2002), “I Am David” (2003), and Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” (2004).

Movies Oscar-winning actor Brenda Fricker, ‘Home Alone 2’s’ Pigeon Lady, died Thursday evening at age 81.She was the first Irish female actor to win an Academy Award.Building a career as a teacher through word of mouth, Kirby also worked on films such as “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” (2005), “Stick It” (2006), “Underdog” (2007) and “Prom” (2011).Kirby came from a family of actors.

His father, Bruce, played Sgt.George Kramer on NBC’s long-running show “Columbo.” His brother Bruno appeared in films such as “Good Morning, Vietnam” (1987), “When Harry Met Sally” (1989) and “City Slickers (1991).Kirby noticed ALS...