RIP Stan Kirsch — 'Highlander' Actor Dead At 51
Gone too soon.
An American actor, screenwriter and director of note, Stan Kirsch was a native of New York City. He started acting as a child, getting cast in Campbell's Soup commercials before landing his first television role.
Kirsch made his mark internationally when he was cast as "Richie Ryan" on Highlander: The Series in the early 1990s. He was a regular cast member on Highlander through the end of its fifth season, ultimately returning for the show's series finale.
While Highlander: The Series is the role that Kirsch is most associated with, his credits also include JAG, Friends, Family Law, General Hospital and Straight Eye: The Movie; he wrote, directed, produced and acted in Straight Eye. Kirsch also notably founded Stan Kirsch Studios over a decade ago.
On January 14, 2020, it was announced Kirsch had died. How did Stan Kirsch die? Here's what we know about his sudden death.
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1. How did Stan Kirsch die? Kirsch's death at the age of 51 has been ruled a suicide.
Kirsch was found dead at his residence in Los Angeles County on January 11th. Per records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, Kirsch's death was determined to be a suicide.
EMTs had reported to Kirsch's home and Kirsch had been pronounced dead by said EMTs who had found that he had hung himself in a bathroom. Kirsch was 51 years old at time of death.
2. Kirsch was married at the time of his death.
When Kirsch died, he was married to Krystyn Green, a native of Lubbock, Texas who has worked as both an actress and a casting director.
Green's acting credits include 21 & A Wake-Up, Invincible, The Haunted Casino and Doll Graveyard. Her casting director credits include a Buffy The Vampire Slayer stop-motion video released in 2011 and an episode of Time Jumper.
3. Kirsch was working on projects at the time of his death.
Kirsch's IMDb page only shows one project from the last few years, 2018's Highlander Worldwide 10: The Gathering. It also leads him to have been an acting coach for a 2015 episode of The Carmichael Show and Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant.
But on the acting coach end, Kirsch was the namesake of Stan Kirsch Studios, which appears to have been in business when Kirsch passed away. The company's website lists it as "one of the premiere, full service acting schools in Los Angeles." The website had a 2020 listing in its copyright notice and listed recent jobs landed by students of the studio.
4. Tributes quick began pouring in as related to Kirsch's passing.
Green has already commented publicly about Kirsch's death. On Facebook she commented, "I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support. I haven't been able to respond to all the texts, calls, emails — but have read or listened to every single one of them. I feel surrounded by love and am forever grateful to each and every one of you."
Actor Kevin Thomas Mitchell was one of the first to post a tribute to Kirsch. He published the following to Twitter: "@stankirsch helped me immensely in adjusting to the TV industry, and though we didn't know each other well, he always greeted me with enthusiasm, sincerely encouraged my efforts, and cheered on my successes, no matter how small."
5. Social media accounts related to Kirsch are private.
Stan Kirsch was active on multiple social media networks, including Twitter and Instagram. He last posted on Twitter on January 4th to praise students for landing roles. Kirsch's Instagram account is currently set to private. Similarly, Green's Instagram account cannot be viewed publicly.
6. Kirsch's death was unexpected by people who knew him well.
The death of Kirsch was unexpected, per comments from many of the people who were friends and/or acting peers with him. Furthermore, no prior news stories about Kirsch suffering from depression could be located.
An official statement was released earlier in the day by Stan Kirsch Studios: "We tragically lost our beloved Stan Kirsch on January 11th. We will be closed for the next 2 weeks as we process and grieve. He was so loved and we are all just devastated. Thank you for your understanding and respecting our privacy during this incredibly difficult time."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 and/or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Darren Paltrowitz is a New York-based writer, editor and author. He is also the host of the Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz podcast, as co-produced with PureGrainAudio.com.