October 13, 2024, 3:10 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
We have the success of the series “Hercules” to thank for the spin-off “Xena – The Warrior Princess,” which also enjoyed great success. The star of “Hercules” was actor Kevin Sorbo, for whom the role marked a worldwide breakthrough. But what does he actually do today?
Over-the-top acting, bizarre costumes, and a campy execution – the series Hercules faced a barrage of critical voices from the outset. Nevertheless, or perhaps because of this, it quickly developed into an absolute cult series with a large fan base. Actor Kevin Sorbo slipped into the title role of the demigod Hercules and became a heartthrob of the 90s.
Overview
“Hercules” was Kevin Sorbo’s breakthrough
In order to finance his studies at Minnesota State University Moorhead, Kevin Sorbo began working as a model in the 1980s and quickly became a well-booked actor for commercials. So much so that his work took him to Europe and Australia; he also landed his first smaller acting roles through his modeling jobs.
However, before Kevin Sorbo achieved his breakthrough with Hercules, he missed out on two major roles to other actors. He was shortlisted for lead roles in Superman – The Adventures of Lois & Clark and The X-Files, but was beaten by actors Dean Cain and David Duchovny. In the mid-90s, Kevin Sorbo first starred in five Hercules television movies, which led to the creation of the series with the same name.
What happened after “Hercules”
111 episodes of Hercules starring Kevin Sorbo were produced between 1995 and 1999. Despite its great success, the series was canceled rather surprisingly in the middle of filming the sixth season. There are various reasons for this, including the fact that Kevin Sorbo wanted to devote himself to other projects, but also that he was no longer able to complete the physically demanding filming for health reasons, as the actor suffered three strokes in 1997. He only recovered from these years later.
Other projects were to follow after the end of Hercules for Kevin Sorbo, and he appeared in the action series Andromeda for five years from 2000. From the mid-2000s, however, his career flattened out. This was followed by moderately successful films that never made it to the cinema, known as direct-to-video productions, and guest appearances in well-known series such as According to Jim and Two and a Half Men. He no longer has any great relevance in Hollywood.
“Hercules” movie without Kevin Sorbo
In 2014, a Hercules movie was produced with Dwayne Johnson as the lead. Kevin Sorbo would have liked to have made a cameo appearance in it as the original Hercules. The fact that it never came to pass didn’t seem to suit the actor. He railed on the show Dish Nation: I think that’s a bit stupid. Not giving me a gig is like taking the ‘business’ out of ‘show business.’ We approached the director about the issue. I don’t know what his reasons are. I don’t know if it’s political reasons or if it’s pride or whatever. Why don’t they let me appear in a small role? The audience would have loved it.”
What is Kevin Sorbo doing today?
As Hercules, Kevin Sorbo presented his steely muscles and imposing chest hair in leather pants and rustic accessories, sometimes with and sometimes without a suede shirt. It’s no wonder that women’s hearts flew to him in rows when his shoulder-length hair blew in the wind during the action-packed fight scenes.
He also met his wife, Sam Jenkins, who played the role of Serena, on the set of the action series. The couple married in 1998 and had three children. Their son Braeden Sorbo has followed in his parents’ acting footsteps and has appeared in several productions to date.
To this day, Sam and Kevin are still a couple and regularly attend red-carpet events together. Sorbo remained similarly faithful to his hairstyle for a long time. Only in recent years has he opted for significantly shorter neck hair. The avid golfer has now traded his leather attire for a polo shirt and golf Bermuda shorts.
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Controversial statements
Kevin Sorbo comes from a family with a Lutheran denomination. He has also made his convictions and his staunchly conservative worldview known to the public in the past. In an essay for Fox News, for example, he called actors Timothée Chalamet and Billy Porter a “misunderstanding of masculinity” due to their androgynous appearance. Understandably, he received considerable criticism for these remarks.
Despite repeatedly making difficult and controversial statements, the actor still seems to wonder about his abrupt career end. He cites his conservative beliefs as the reason for being “canceled” by Hollywood. “And I almost have to laugh about that because it’s an industry that claims to value tolerance, yet it often seems like a one-way street. It cries out for freedom of expression. And that’s just a shame,” Sorbo told Fox News.