Stanley Benjamin Kirsch is a native of New York City. He made his screen debut at the age of four as a Campbell's soup kid on a commercial, but his parents decided it would better for him not to pursue a career as a child actor. He instead pursued an education, and while in high school, developed an interest in politics. He represented New York State at the National Teenage Republican Convention in 1984. He would then graduate cum laude from Duke University with a degree in Political Science.