Justin Kirk was born in Salem, Oregon, and spent his childhood in Union, Washington, where he attended grade school on a Native American reservation. From a very young age, he was drawn to the world of performance, making his acting debut at just seven years old in a local college play. As he grew older, his passion for acting only intensified, and at the age of 12, he moved with his mother to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he attended the prestigious Children's Theater School throughout high school.
After graduating from high school, Kirk made the move to New York City, where he enrolled in the renowned Circle in the Square conservatory acting program. Upon completing the two-year program, he landed his first role on Broadway in "Any Given Day" at the Longacre Theater, and subsequently quit his job as a bellboy at the Royalton Hotel. He has been working steadily in the entertainment industry ever since, and is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the blind character Bobby in the Broadway production and feature film adaptation of "Love! Valour! Compassion!" (1997),for which he received an Obie Award for Distinguished Performance in the Ensemble.
Kirk's impressive stage credits also include starring roles in "Old Wicked Songs" at New York's Promenade Theater and Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse, for which he won a Back Stage West Garland Award for Outstanding Performance. He has also appeared in "June Moon" with the Drama Department, a theater company of which he is a founding member.
In his free time, Kirk is a self-described radio nerd, and divides his time between New York City and Los Angeles.