Luke Kirby


Luke Farrell Kirby is a Canadian actor. He played the role of Lenny Bruce in the Amazon Prime Video comedy-drama series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. In 2024, he starred as Chuck Brooks in the Peabody Award winning film Out of My Mind from Disney+.

Early life

Kirby was born in Hamilton, Ontario, to American parents. His mother is from Brooklyn, New York City, and his father grew up "along the eastern seaboard." His parents moved from New York City to Canada in 1974. He studied drama at the National Theatre School of Canada, a theatre conservatory focusing on classical works, and graduated in 2000.

Career

Kirby has performed since his teens, after he was accepted at The National Theatre School of Canada. He graduated in May 2000, and after two auditions began working on two separate projects: the CBS/Alliance mini-series Haven, and director Léa Pool's feature Lost and Delirious.
Soon after, he portrayed Morgan in the Factory Theatre's production of Geometry in Venice in Toronto, a performance that brought him a Best Actor nomination at the Dora Mavor Moore Awards. This was quickly followed by the role of Patroclus in Theatre for a New Audience's 2001 production of Troilus and Cressida, directed by Peter Hall in New York City.
In 2006, Kirby performed in the Women's Project Theater production of Jump/Cut. His other theatre credits include Judith Thompson's premiere of Habitat at Canadian Stage, and Daniel Brooks premiere of The Good Life at the Tarragon Theatre. His latest theatre venture was in New York City, where he had the lead role in Defender of the Faith.
Kirby's first feature film role was that of Jake Hollander in Lost and Delirious, followed by Halloween: Resurrection, where he played Jim. His other film credits include lead roles in Peter Wellington's feature Luck and Mambo Italiano directed by Émile Gaudreault. Mambo Italiano received a gala presentation at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival to a standing ovation, and earned Kirby a Canadian Comedy Award Nomination. He then played a part written for him in the feature film Shattered Glass, produced by Cruise/Wagner. In 2007, he had the lead role of Ray Dokes opposite Rachael Leigh Cook and Keith Carradine in the Canadian feature All Hat. In 2009, he appeared opposite Lindsay Lohan in Labor Pains.
In television, one of Kirby's favourite roles was in the TMN/Showcase mini-series Slings & Arrows, featuring Canadian actors and directed by his friend Peter Wellington. Kirby was nominated for a Gemini Award for his role in Sex Traffic, a mini-series for Channel 4 and CBC that aired in the fall of 2004 under British director David Yates. That year, Kirby received a second Gemini nomination for his guest-star role in the dramatic series The Eleventh Hour. In the fall of 2005, he was a series regular in HBO's Tell Me You Love Me, directed by Patricia Rozema, whose first season aired in September 2007. He starred as Jimmy Burns in the 2009–2010 Canwest Global series Cra$h & Burn.
In 2017, Kirby joined the cast of the award-winning Amazon Prime Video comedy-drama series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, portraying comedian Lenny Bruce, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. In 2025 he played Jack McMillan in the Amazon Prime Video comedy-drama series Étoile.
From December 2019 through January 2020, Kirby starred in the off-Broadway play Judgment Day at New York's Park Avenue Armory.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001Lost and DeliriousJake Hollander
2002Halloween: ResurrectionJim
2003Mambo ItalianoAngelo Barberini
2003Shattered GlassRob Gruen
2003LuckShane Bradley
2004Window TheoryBrad
2004The Human KazooZachariaShort film
2005The Greatest Game Ever PlayedFrank Hoyt
2007All HatRay Dokes
2007The Stone AngelLeo
2009Labor PainsNick Steinwald
2011Take This WaltzDaniel
2012The SamaritanEthan
2013The Boston PostSamShort film
2013Empire of DirtRussell
2014True ManClientShort film
2015Touched with FireMarco
2015Sure ThingBillShort film
2017A Dog's PurposeJim Montgomery
2017Another Kind of WeddingMisha
2018Little WoodsBill
2019GlassPierce
2020PercyPeter Schmeiser
2021No Man of GodTed Bundy
2022The IndependentLucas Nicoll
2023Boston StranglerF. Lee Bailey
2023Dark HarvestOfficer Jerry Ricks
2024Out of My MindChuck
2024Turn Me OnFounder
2025Terror Keeps You SlenderThe PhotographerShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000Give Me Your Soul...NarratorTelevision documentary
2001HavenDaniel WeinzweigTelevision film
2003–2005Slings & ArrowsJack CrewMain role, guest role
2004Sex TrafficCallum TateTelevision miniseries
2005Bury the LeadJosh CaseyEpisode: "Hit Delete"
2005It's Me...GeraldDr. DanEpisode: "How Do You Know You've Hit Bottom?"
2006Northern TownBrianMain role
2007Tell Me You Love MeHugo8 episodes
2009FlashpointEvan HewsonEpisode: "Last Dance"
2009Law & OrderBobby AmatoEpisode: "The Drowned and the Saved"
2009Law & Order: Criminal IntentAndre HaslumEpisode: "Folie a Deux"
2009–2010Cra$h & BurnJimmy BurnMain role
2012–2014Republic of DoyleClyde Cowley2 episodes
2012ElementaryAaron WardEpisode: "The Rat Race"
2012Law & Order: Special Victims UnitBraden LeddyEpisode: "Vanity's Bonfire"
2013Person of InterestChris BecknerEpisode: "2 Pi R"
2013Blue BloodsDetective Wolf LandsmanEpisode: "Men in Black"
2013–2016RectifyJon SternMain role
2015The Astronaut Wives ClubMax KaplanMain role
2015Show Me a HeroEdwin E. McAmisEpisode: "Episode 2"
2015The Good WifeHarry McGrathEpisode: "Cooked"
2017–2023The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselLenny BruceMain role, recurring role
2017The Good FightHarry McGrathEpisode: "Self Condemned"
2017BullHarry KempEpisode: "Dirty Little Secrets"
2018BlindspotChristophe Bruyere / Junior2 episodes
2018–2019The DeuceGene GoldmanMain role
2018Sorry for Your LossTrippEpisode: "Welcome to Palm Springs"
2018Law & Order: Special Victims UnitAndrew LeibowitzEpisode: "Hell's Kitchen"
2019The Twilight ZoneDylanEpisode: "Not All Men"
2019Tales of the CityTommy Nelson2 episodes
2020Little VoiceJeremy4 episodes
2021–2022Gossip GirlDavis Calloway11 episodes
2022PanhandleBell PrescottMain role; also producer
2023The Company You KeepJones MaloneEpisode: "Against All Odds"
2023Dr. DeathDr. Nathan GamelliMain role
2025ÉtoileJack McMillanMain role
2026The Last Thing He Told MePost-production