Kevin Sorbo

Kevin David Sorbo (born September 24, 1958) is an American actor. He has had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995–1999) and as Captain Dylan Hunt in Andromeda (2000–2005). In between his years playing Hercules, Sorbo played his first leading film role in the 1997 fantasy film Kull the Conqueror.

Sorbo is also known for acting in Christian films, such as God's Not Dead (2014) and Let There Be Light (2017).

Early life and education

Sorbo was born in Mound, Minnesota, on September 24, 1958.<ref name="TVG">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He is of Norwegian descent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was raised in a Lutheran family.<ref name="TCP Vivaldo">Template:Cite web</ref> Sorbo attended Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he double majored in marketing and advertising.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> To help pay for tuition, he began to work as a model for print and television advertising.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Early work

In the mid-1980s, Sorbo traveled around Europe and Australia working in television commercials and also modeling for print advertisements. During this period, he made his acting debut in an episode of the soap opera Santa Barbara in 1986. His second television appearance was in an episode of the sitcom 1st & Ten in 1988. He continued working in advertising and by the early 1990s, he had appeared in over 150 commercials. One of the popular commercials he appeared in was for Jim Beam bourbon whiskey, known for Sorbo's repeated catchphrase, "This ain't Jim Beam".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

His acting career continued with guest appearances in Murder She Wrote and The Commish. In 1992, he played his first leading role in an unsuccessful television pilot for a medical drama series titled Condition: Critical, which was not picked up, but aired as a television film on ABC. In 1993, he was considered for and lost out to Dean Cain as Superman in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and was one of the possible contenders for the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files, which went to David Duchovny.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1993, he made his film debut in Slaughter of the Innocents.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Professional breakthrough with Hercules, Kull, and other film offers

In 1993, Sorbo received his breakthrough leading role as the ancient greek demigod Hercules in a series of five television films that aired as part of Universal Television's Action Pack.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first film to premiere was Hercules and the Amazon Women, which aired in April 1994, the others following later in the year. The ratings success of the films paved the way for the commission of the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which started airing in syndication from January 1995 and ran for six seasons. The series made Sorbo an international star and was one of the highest rated syndicated television shows at the time.<ref name="scifiw">Template:Citation</ref>Template:Better source needed The show was filmed in New Zealand.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

The success of the show spawned the popular spin-off series Xena: Warrior Princess starring Lucy Lawless, who was introduced in a three-episode arc in the first season of Hercules. This allowed several characters from both shows to make crossover appearances. In 1998, a spin-off direct-to-video, animated film titled Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus was released with both Sorbo and Lawless voicing the characters.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Hercules was canceled midway through the filming of Season Six, of which only eight episodes were produced. The final episode aired in November 1999.<ref>Template:Citation.</ref> Although it was not revealed at the time, health issues reduced Sorbo's abilities to perform the physically demanding role during the later seasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sorbo made his final appearance as Hercules on Xena, in the Season Five episode "God Fearing Child", which aired in February 2000.

In between his years playing Hercules, Sorbo played his first leading film role in the 1997-released film Kull the Conqueror. The actor was selected for the role in December 1995,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the picture was shot in Slovakia and Croatia between August and October 1996.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" /> In a mostly negative review, The New York Times writes, "Mr. Sorbo provides the requisite oiled torso, a hint of humor and the professionalism and good grace to act as if Kull the Conqueror mattered."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In July 1997, it was announced that Sorbo would star in Black Dog for around $3 million, with Kevin Hooks slated to direct and produce and the intention to shoot in September during Sorbo's hiatus from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.<ref name="SorboDog">Template:Cite news</ref> During an interview, Sorbo described the film as "Die Hard meets Speed."<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> In September 1997, Meat Loaf and Randy Travis were signed to star opposite Sorbo.<ref name="MeatLoafTravisDog">Template:Cite news</ref> However, by November of that year, it was reported that Patrick Swayze had replaced Sorbo in Black Dog.<ref name="SwayzeDog">Template:Cite news</ref>

Post-Hercules work

After Hercules ended, Sorbo played the starring role of Captain Dylan Hunt in the science-fiction drama series Andromeda from 2000 to 2005. In 2006, he played a recurring role on the final season of The O.C.

In 2007, he starred in two direct-to-video sequels to Walking Tall, Walking Tall: The Payback and Walking Tall: Lone Justice. In the Hallmark Channel film Avenging Angel, he co-starred with his real wife, Sam Jenkins.

In 2008, he appeared in the spoof film titled Meet the Spartans, which was a box office success despite poor reviews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Kevin Sorbo 03.jpg

Sorbo in 2013

In the first of what would be several voice acting jobs, Sorbo performed one of the main protagonists, Prometheus, in the video game The Conduit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also reprised the role of Hercules in the video game God of War III and worked together with his wife on the game Cloudberry Kingdom.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2014, Sorbo co-starred in God's Not Dead, a Christian film in which he portrayed an atheist college professor who requires his students to disown their religions on the first day of his class.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although heavily panned by critics, it was a commercial success and the first of a sequence of Christian films that Sorbo would produce or perform.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sorbo appeared in the 2015 romantic comedy Single in South Beach, starring Haley Webb. On Twitter, in 2019, she accused Sorbo of sexual advances and of sexually harassing her on the set. However, Webb did not elaborate on any of her accusations, and he did not respond to her tweet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2017, Sorbo directed and starred in the Christian drama film Let There Be Light, which featured conservative pundit Sean Hannity, who was also an executive producer. It was described by the New Yorker as "a cynical, xenophobic morality tale, as bitter as it is saccharine" that closes with "a dénouement of bald Islamophobia".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Los Angeles Times, although critical, says that it provides "an involving bonanza" for its intended Christian audience. Sorbo is described as bringing "puckish charm and credible warmth to his role".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2024, he appeared in the Ronald Reagan biopic opposite Dennis Quaid, who plays the title role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Sorbo is a Christian. Although he grew up Lutheran, he attends a nondenominational church.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On January 5, 1998, Sorbo married actress Sam Jenkins, whom he met the previous year when she had a small recurring role on Hercules (Season 3, Episode 8 "Prince Hercules"). They have three children, including Braeden Sorbo.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Sorbo is the spokesman and chair of A World Fit for Kids! (AWFFK!), a non-profit organization that trains teenagers to become mentors to younger children.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2001, Sorbo was featured on a celebrity edition of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, winning $32,000. The money was donated to his charity, A World Fit For Kids.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Health

In late 1997, while on a publicity tour for Kull the Conqueror and between the fourth and fifth seasons of Hercules, the newly engaged Sorbo experienced an aneurysm in his shoulder which caused three strokes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="HuffPoStroke">Template:Cite news</ref> As a result, he was weakened for the next several years, a condition kept secret from the public while he recovered. During the last two seasons of Hercules (the fifth and sixth, which aired in 1998 and 1999), Sorbo had a reduced filming schedule to accommodate his condition, and more guest stars were featured in the show in order to reduce Sorbo's duties.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In his 2011 autobiography True Strength, Sorbo revealed the details of his injury and how his wife Sam helped him recover.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2013, Sorbo received the Public Leadership in Neurology Award from the American Academy of Neurology and the American Brain Foundation for his efforts raising awareness about stroke.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also received the 2013 Inspiration Honors Award from the Invisible Disabilities Association.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Politics

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Sorbo in 2020 at an event hosted by Turning Point USA

In 2014, during an interview with Jerry Newcombe on the radio show Vocal Point, Sorbo defended Mel Gibson against allegations that his 2004 film The Passion of the Christ was anti-Semitic with the words: "News bulletin: you did kill Jesus!"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sorbo later stated he could have rephrased his statements, but defended his stance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Facebook removed him from the platform during the COVID-19 pandemic claiming "We removed Kevin Sorbo's page for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines." Sorbo responded that he posts things that doctors say and that Facebook had been shadow banning him for a year prior. He stated: "I [would have been] more than happy to take them [down], whatever offensive posts that Facebook deemed that I should not be posting, So, I question their statements… that they gave me."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed

After Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, Sorbo repeatedly made remarks defending Trump's claims of election fraud.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although he initially supported the January 6 United States Capitol attack participants and encouraged them to respect the police, Sorbo subsequently backtracked and blamed the violence on antifa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This led to a widely reported Twitter exchange between him and his former co-star Lucy Lawless, who have exchanged conflicting views on personal and political matters throughout the past 20 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2022, Sorbo was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference. He wore a suit lined with his own tweets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2023, Sorbo published a children's book entitled The Test of Lionhood, which explores the theme of masculinity from a Christian perspective for young boys,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as part of a larger fight in defense of the virtues of masculinity, which he says are being eroded in Hollywood and in society at large.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Slaughter of the Innocents	John Willison
1997	Kull the Conqueror	Kull
2004	Clipping Adam	Father Dan
2007	Walking Tall: The Payback	Nick Prescott	Direct-to-video
	Walking Tall: Lone Justice
2008	Meet the Spartans	Captain
	Prairie Fever	Preston Biggs	Direct-to-video
	An American Carol	George Mulrooney
2009	Fire from Below	Jake Denning
	Bitch Slap	Mr. Phoenix
2010	What If...	Ben Walker
	Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos	Pierluigi
	Tales of an Ancient Empire	Aedan
	Pool Boy: Drowning Out the Fury	Sal Bando
	Paradox	Sean Nault
2011	Soul Surfer	Holt Blanchard
	Julia X	The Stranger
	Coffin
2012	Abel's Field	Abel	Executive producer<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Black Box	James
	Sorority Party Massacre	Captain Dan Fanning
	FDR: American Badass!	Abraham Lincoln
2013	Paranormal Movie	Security Guy
	Storm Rider	Sam Fielding
	Alone for Christmas	Quentin	Direct-to-video
2014	One Shot	Commander Gibson
	Alongside Night	Dr. Martin Vreeland	Executive producer
	Survivor	Captain Hunter
	The Black Rider: Revelation Road	Honcho
	Coffee Shop	Produzent
	God's Not Dead	Professor Jeffrey Radisson
	Mythica: A Quest for Heroes	Gojun Pye
2015	Confessions of a Prodigal Son	Father
	The Sparrows: Nesting	Pastor Dave
	Single in South Beach	Sam
	Hope Bridge	Pastor
	Mythica: The Darkspore	Gojun Pye
	One More Round	Billy Jack Taylor
	Gallows Road	Frank
	Mythica: The Necromancer	Gojun Pye
2016	Caged No More	Richard / Jack
	Forgiven	Lieutenant Morgan
	Mythica: The Iron Crown	Gojun Pye
	Rodeo Girl	Duke Williams<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Mythica: The Godslayer	Gojun Pye
	Joseph & Mary	Joseph
	Spirit of the Game	Parley Condie
2017	Let There Be Light	Dr. Sol Harkins	Director
2018	Bernie the Dolphin	Winston Mills
2019	The Reliant		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Miracle in East Texas	Doc Boyd	Director, wide release in 2023<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Bernie the Dolphin 2	Winston Mills
2020	The Penitent Thief	King Herod<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Against the tide	Himself
2021	The Girl Who Believes in Miracles	Dr. David Riley
	Trail Blazers	Ethan	Post-production
2023	Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist	Rayford Steele	Director
	Alien Storm	President of the U.S.
2024	The Firing Squad	Pastor Lynbrook
	Reagan	Reverend Cleaver	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Until the Last Promise	Pastor Thomas
	Devil's Knight	Guard Captain Baldur
	The Last Redemption	Lord Roland	Producer

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	Santa Barbara	Lars	1 episode
1988	1st & Ten	Barry	Episode: "...The Clock Runs Out"
1992	Cheers	Uncredited	Episode: "License to Hill"
	Condition: Critical	Dr. Thaddeus Kocinski	Television film
1993	Murder, She Wrote	Michael Burke	Episode: "A Virtual Murder"
	The Commish	Mark	Episode: "Dying Affection"
1994	Hercules and the Amazon Women	Hercules	Television film
	Hercules and the Lost Kingdom
	Hercules and the Circle of Fire
	Hercules in the Underworld
	Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur
1995–1999	Hercules: The Legendary Journeys		111 episodes; also Director for episodes #2.17 & #3.20
1995	Cybill	Rick	Episode: "The Last Temptation of Cybill"
1995–2000	Xena: Warrior Princess	Hercules	2 episodes
1998	Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus		Voice
1999	Just Shoot Me!	Scott	Episode: "An Axe to Grind"
2000–2005	Andromeda	Captain Dylan Hunt	110 episodes; executive producer
2001	Dharma & Greg	Charlie	4 episodes
2003	According to Jim	Darryl Buckner	Episode: "The Pass"
2004	Hope & Faith	Kenny	Episode: "Mismatch"
2005	Love, Inc.	Father John	Episode: "Amen"
2006	Two and a Half Men	Andy	Episode: "Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Burro"
	Last Chance Café	Chance Coulter	Television film
2006–2007	The O.C.	Frank Atwood	7 episodes
2007	Avenging Angel	Preacher	Television film
	Psych	Byrd Tatums	Episode: "Bounty Hunters!"
	Something Beneath	Father Douglas Middleton	Television film
2008	Never Cry Werewolf	Redd Tucker
	The Middleman	1969 middleman / Guy Goddard	Episode: "The Obsolescent Cryogenic Meltdown"
2009	Gary Unmarried	Larry	"Seven"
	Lightning Strikes	Ted Bradly	Television film
2009–2010	The Super Hero Squad Show	Ka-Zar	Voice, 2 episodes
2009	Wolf Canyon	Rick / Sheriff Wolf	Television film; also executive producer
2010	Hawaii Five-0	Carlton Bass	Episode: "Ko'olauloa"
	The Santa Suit	Drake Hunter / Santa Claus	Television film
2011	Flesh Wounds	Lt. Tyler
	The Guild	Himself	Episode: "Social Traumas"
2012	Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23		Episode: "The Wedding"
	Key & Peele	Brad	Episode #2.6<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Christmas Angel	Dr. Nathan Davis	Television film
	The Eric André Show	Himself	Episode: "The Eric André New Year's Eve Spooktacular"
2013	Shadow on the Mesa	Ray Eastman	Television film
2017	Supergirl	Lar Gand	3 episodes

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	Mortal Kombat 4	Reiko, Quan Chi	Voice
2009	The Conduit	Prometheus
2010	God of War III	Hercules
2012	Skylanders: Giants	Crusher
2013	Skylanders: Swap Force
	Cloudberry Kingdom	Bob
2014	Skylanders: Trap Team	Crusher
2015	Smite	Hercules (Retro Skin)
	Skylanders: SuperChargers	Crusher
2016	Skylanders: Imaginators

External links

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