He’s the most recognizable face in LDS movies. Throughout the Jell-O belt, he’s a household name. And it seems that every Mormon has an opinion about him.
Utah native Kirby Heyborne got his big break in the 2002 LDS comedy The Singles Ward, but it wasn’t until the following year’s The R.M. that Heyborne became the closest thing the LDS community has to a bona fide movie star. But with such a lofty title comes much scrutiny from LDS moviegoers and sadly, none of the monetary gain. And to the rest of the world, he’s just another working actor.
MormonMedia.com recently had the opportunity to talk with Heyborne about a sundry of topics, including fame, fortune (or the lack thereof), and working in LDS and non-LDS environments. In his own words Kirby sets the record straight.
MormonMedia.com: You got your big break in The Singles Ward, and then you got cast as the lead in The R.M. When did you begin to notice that you were becoming—for lack of a better term—an LDS celebrity?
Kirby Heyborne: It was after The R.M. came out. At that time I was filming Saints and Soldiers, and after that it was The Best Two Years, and after that, The Book of Mormon Movie, and after that I shot Sons of Provo. So it was that year. I did four LDS films.
MM: What has been the best thing about being the most recognizable LDS actor?
KH: If I could just be an actor and not have the celebrity part, that would be ideal. It’s a very awkward thing. Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved making people feel happy and I love making people important. And to that extent, I love that when I meet someone I’m genuinely interested in them and want them to feel good about themselves. And I enjoy it for that aspect.
I don’t enjoy walking in a mall and someone will yell, “Hey, Elder Calhoun!” [Heyborne’s character from The Best Two Years.] Were they being rude, or are they genuinely, “hey, that’s that guy in the movie.” I get nervous. I don’t like that. I don’t like people seeing me go to the discount bin at American Eagle to get some pants.
MM: Because people think you’re rich?
KH: Whatever it is. I feel scrutinized and judged. And I probably am not, but it’s just a paranoia thing.
MM: As a popular LDS actor, do you feel any pressure to set an example?
KH: I do in my personal life, definitely. And that’s where the line gets blurred because people assume that since I’ve done LDS films and that I’m LDS that I’m only going to do LDS-type characters. But I take it upon myself when I’m around people to be the one that’s helping others realize their potential. In my real life I need to be an example.
MM: Just like all Mormons should?
KH: Exactly. When I was on set in Los Angeles on a TV show, everybody knew I was Mormon and so I lived, behind the scenes, as the best, extremely-strict Mormon that I could, just because I’m an example to them.
MM: Do you have any good experiences where you really felt like what you’ve done has made a difference?
KH: There are people who have said stuff like, “because of you as Elder Calhoun that my son went on a mission,” and that makes me feel good.
MM: Any bad experiences?
KH: I’ve had people ask me if I’m temple worthy, if I’m doing my home teaching, assuming that I’m not.
MM: Out of your body of LDS movies, what are you most proud of?
KH: I go back and look at them and think, “I could have been so much better.” With each film you learn something new. And with what I know now, I’d go back and do it better.
I think the whole experience of how things work and gaining a better understanding of how a character works is Saints and Soldiers. And it wasn’t just my character that I got an understanding for, it was all the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces. That one felt great, and it fell into place.
I got more scrutiny about my British accent from Mormon people than I did from actual people from England. People who didn’t know me thought I was British.
MM: In Saints and Soldiers, your character is not LDS and has a penchant for cigarettes. Did you get any flack from LDS people for that?
KH: Oh, yeah. The filmmakers got emails saying that they’re going to hell for making an LDS member smoke. They were not real cigarettes. If I were to smoke real cigarettes, I would puke. I still get flack for it today, four years after the movie came out.
MM: This past summer you were featured in a beer commercial. On MormonTimes.com you were quoted as saying “I look at it as Heavenly Father was blessing me with a way to support my family and stay afloat for another year.” How have people responded to being in the commercial?
KH: That was crazy, the backlash. That we as Mormons try to integrate into the normal world: we’re doctors, we’re actors, we’re artists—don’t think that we’re weird! 99% of the world looks at a beer commercial not as oh-look-that’s-Kirby-Heyborne-drinking-a-beer but as oh-look-that’s-a-funny-commercial. [EDITOR’S NOTE: In the actual commercial, Kirby is not seen drinking anything.]
I received a couple of emails from people that started attacking my personal life. I do my best to be a good example in my personal life. Some emails said stuff like “any fireside he did or any young man he encouraged to go on a mission is all for naught because he did a beer commercial.” There’s something wrong there.
You’d think that if I had fallen off the deep end—like people are assuming—and assimilated into the lifestyles of Hollywood people, we as Mormons are taught to show more love, not just cut the strings and say, “good riddance, I knew he was going to leave, and anyway he’s never done anything good.”
MM: While you live and work as an actor in California, you still get a lot of roles in LDS films. Do you think that maybe you should move back to Utah?
KH: I make so little off of LDS films that I need to support my family with other things; either commercials or television work or audio books or music…all of that happens in California.
What’s great is that I have great friends who are making films in Utah. I love coming back and making films with friends. I have a couple of films I’m going to produce and co-wrote. I’m going to bring them back to Utah. I know the crews and I know the talent pool, so if I’m in charge I’m going to bring it back to Utah.