Kevin Sorbo

In the mid-1980s, Sorbo traveled around Europe and Australia working in television commercials and also modeling for print advertisements. 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".[6]

During this period, he made his acting debut in an episode of the soap opera Santa Barbara in 1986. This was followed by guest appearances in television series such as 1st & Ten, Murder She Wrote, and The Commish. In 1992, he starred in an unsuccessful pilot for a medical drama series titled Condition: Critical, which was not picked up, but aired as a television film on ABC. He was considered for and lost out to Dean Cain as Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and was a possible contender for the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files, which went to David Duchovny.[7][8][9][10] In 1993, he made his film debut playing a supporting role in Slaughter of the Innocents.[11]

Later that same year, Sorbo received his breakthrough, leading role as the Ancient Greek mythical demigod Hercules in a series of five television films that aired as part of Universal Television's Action Pack.[12] The first film to premiere was Hercules and the Amazon Women, which aired in April 1994. The subsequent films aired 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 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.[13]

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.[14]

Hercules was canceled midway through the filming of Season Six, of which only eight episodes were produced. The final episode aired in November 1999.[15] Although it was not revealed at the time, health issues reduced Sorbo's abilities to perform the physically demanding role during the later seasons. He made his final appearance as Hercules on Xena in 2000.

In between his years playing Hercules, Sorbo played his first leading film role in the 1997 film Kull the Conqueror. 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."[16]

After Hercules came to an end, 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 the 2008, he appeared in the spoof film titled Meet the Spartans, which was a box office success despite poor reviews.[17][18]

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.[19] 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.[20]

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.[21] 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.[22][23][24]

Sorbo appeared in the 2015 romantic comedy Single In South Beach, staring 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.[25][26]

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".[27][28] 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".[29]

In 2023, he is set to appear in the Ronald Reagan biopic opposite Dennis Quaid who plays the title role.[30]

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.[36][37] 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.[38] In his 2011 autobiography True Strength, Sorbo revealed the details of his injury and how his wife Sam helped him recover.[39]

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.[40] He also received the 2013 Inspiration Honors Award from the Invisible Disabilities Association.[41]

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!"[42] Sorbo later stated he could have rephrased his statements, but defended his stance.[43]

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."[44][45]

After Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, Sorbo repeatedly made remarks defending the president's false and disproven claims of election fraud.[46][47] Although he initially supported the protestors as loyal defenders of Donald Trump and enjoined them to respect the police, Sorbo subsequently backtracked and blamed the violence on Antifa.[48] This led to a widely reported Twitter exchange between former co-stars Kevin Sorbo and Lucy Lawless, who have exchanged conflicting views on personal and political matters throughout the past 20 years.[49][50][51][52] According to The Mary Sue, apart from audiences of his Christian films, Sorbo's relevance today is otherwise limited to those who follow his political commentary on Twitter.[53]

In 2022, Sorbo was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference. He wore a suit lined with his own tweets.[54][55]

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.[56] It has been criticized as anti-LGBTQ+ by critics, who note that he also has a history of anti-trans statements on Twitter.[57] Sorbo rejects this characterization. He also frames his intention 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.[58][59]