Kurt Naebig was born in the vibrant city of Chicago to parents Arthur and Christine, and spent the majority of his formative years in Chicago and Cicero. Growing up, Kurt demonstrated a strong entrepreneurial spirit, juggling numerous paper routes, working at flea markets, and selling produce door-to-door.
At the tender age of 11, Kurt's life took a dramatic turn when he got on his first skateboard. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life, as he started competing around the Midwest and winning multiple events. Concurrently, he began selling skateboard equipment out of his house, which eventually became too great to continue from home. Kurt and his friend, Tim Schutt, opened up a store in Oak Park, Illinois, with Kurt being only 13 years old at the time and Tim being 15. Kurt's entrepreneurial endeavors caught the attention of many, with features in notable publications such as People magazine, Chicago Tribune, National Geographic World, and the Weekly Reader. Television coverage also followed, including local news shows and Good Morning America.
As the skateboard boom began to dwindle in the late 1970s, Kurt shifted his business focus to the Chicago Board Options exchange, where he excelled. During his evening classes, he discovered a passion for acting, which led him to pursue further education.
Kurt then studied acting under the guidance of renowned instructor Jane Brody, who encouraged him to work professionally and continue his training. He was subsequently accepted into The Juilliard School, where he studied from 1986 to 1990.
After graduating from Juilliard in 1990, Kurt married his wife Myra and returned to Chicago, where he began working in film, television, voice-over, and onstage with notable institutions such as Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Portland Stage, and Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (where he remains a member). Shortly thereafter, Jane Brody offered Kurt and Rachael Patterson the opportunity to run The Audition Studio (later renamed Acting Studio/Chicago),which Kurt and Rachael managed for six years. Kurt still teaches acting at the studio today.
Throughout his career, Kurt has continued to work in various aspects of the entertainment industry, teaching, acting, directing, doing voice-overs and commercials, and working on numerous films that shoot in Chicago, all while making time to visit the local skatepark a few times a year.
