One of the best TV shows that combined history, mystery, fantasy, action, comedy, drama, and romance was one about a Greek god and his time on earth. The show was Hercules and it became a huge hit because of its leading man – Kevin Sorbo.
He was perhaps one of the biggest TV stars at the time and had everything you’d want from a leading man: charm, good looks, and impeccable talent.
Yet, while Kevin Sorbo still works today we don’t see him as much as we used to. Hollywood could have offered him so much more. And yet, they didn’t. But why is that? What went wrong with Kevin Sorbo’s career?
Kevin Sorbo Kicked Out of Hollywood for His Christian Beliefs. Join FactsVerse to learn more about it…
KEVIN SORBO’S EARLY LIFE AND CAREER
Kevin David Sorbo was born in Mound, Minnesota on September 24, 1958. He is of Norwegian descent and was raised of a Lutheran. Growing up, his faith and time in the church was important to him and gave him a grounding for his life. It’s something that he has carried with him into his adulthood.
Upon graduating from high school, he pursued a degree in advertising and marketing from Minnesota State University Moorehead.
But, like many students, he needed to find a way to pay his tuition. Luckily, he had a lot going for him.
Kevin Sorbo was tall – he stands at 6 feet 3 and a half inches and had the handsome looks and charm made him perfect for modeling. He began modeling for print ads and this helped him pay his tuition, pay his bills, as well as make some great cash on the side.
But of course, he couldn’t just be limited to print ads. He soon began getting work in television ads and this is what made him decide that he wanted to become an actor. He soon decided that he no longer wanted to work behind the scenes in marketing and advertising but wanted to stand out in front of the camera.
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KEVIN SORBO’S CAREER
In the 1980s, Kevin Sorbo began receiving one offer after the next to act in TV commercials. He spent 3 years traveling the world to act in TV commercials filmed in different parts of the world and for both American and international brands.
While exploring Europe and Australia he was acting in TV commercials and completed a total of 150 commercials by the time the 1990s came around. One of his most famous commercials, which fans still love to look back on this day was his commercial for Jim Beam.
It was in this commercial that he said his now-famous catchphrase “This ain’t Jim Beam” after taking a sip of a drink that was, well, clearly not Jim Beam!
Commercials are what helped him launch his career and while commercial actors don’t always make an easy transition to film or television, he managed to due to his acting but also his charm and good looks. He had the persona that was made for leading man roles – so producers knew that he couldn’t be stuck working in commercials all his life!
He began acting in TV shows in the late 1980s with his first credit in an episode of the soap opera Santa Barbara.
However, it was in the early 1990s when he had completed many great commercials that he began getting more seriously into TV acting. His first major role was in the 1992 TV movie Condition: Critical. In this thriller about a virus loose in Los Angeles, he played the supporting role of Dr. Thaddeus Kocinski.
The following year he had a supporting role in his first feature film Slaughter of the Innocents – a mystery, horror, and crime film about the hunt for a child killer! Slowly but surely he was getting more recognition as an actor. Much of the 90s consisted of him making small appearances in popular TV shows.
But his big break came in 1994 when he appeared in a series of TV movies about the legendary warrior Hercules. He was approached to play the role as he wasn’t a major star but was a recognized face on TV. Hercules was his big break and when the show was released in 1995 it immediately became a huge hit. This was the role that made him a star and only a couple years after it ended, he starred as Captain Dylan Hunt in the TV series Andromeda which also became a huge hit.
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His career just went from strength to strength and we should mention some of his other achievements in both film and television.
In between working on Hercules and Andromeda he continued to appear on popular TV shows including Just Shoot Me, According to Jim, Xena – The Warrior Princess in which he reprised his Hercules role which was one of the biggest crossovers of the time, Hope and Faith, and a short recurring role in a few episodes of Dharma and Greg.
This continued after Andromeda came to an end. He appeared in popular shows such as Love, Inc and Two and a Half Men. He played the lead role in the TV pilot Bobby Cannon though the series never was greenlit. Nevertheless, he continued on strongly.
He played Frank Atwood in 7 episodes of The OC which became a huge success.
And then, things started to go a bit wrong. His career, thankfully, hasn’t stopped and as of November 2022, his filmography according to the Internet Movie Database has over 150 credits including several films in production. His focus has now been on cinema and he’s mostly worked in independent films including several faith-based films.
But we haven’t seen much of him in Hollywood and it’s because there’s a stigma surrounding this great actor whom was once loved by all…
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KEVIN SORBO KICKED OUT OF HOLLYWOOD FOR HIS CHRISTIAN BELIEFS
As discussed earlier, Kevin Sorbo was raised as a Christian and his faith has helped him throughout the challenges that one goes throughout life.
But Hollywood isn’t friendly toward religious people and there is a stigma toward Christianity. Many actors, except for perhaps a few established stars, don’t receive many roles when they become outspoken about their faith. Kevin Sorbo has never been apologetic about his faith and has not been afraid to comment on social, cultural, or even political issues that concern him.
But, it seems that his views aren’t in-line with what are socially acceptable among Hollywood’s elite and this is what has gotten him kicked out of the industry. He’s made films that have argued for Christianity and the existence of God. He’s stated that he’s a supporter of Donald Trump which also brought him much backlash.
And he’s not been afraid to discuss the backlash he’s received.
But Kevin Sorbo has always been a strong person who has managed to persist. Back when he worked on Hercules, he suffered a few strokes on the series. He even suffered from an aneurysm and had to take more care of his health. But, now in his sixties, he’s still just as busy as ever – despite being ostracized by the industry that he worked hard to join.
He recently launched Patriot Mobile – a mobile network described as America’s only wireless service provider for conservative Christians.
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Apart from his work in independent cinema, he’s become even more outspoken than ever about his views. While many actors fade away when they’re ostracized, Kevin Sorbo seems to have the same fierceness of Hercules and isn’t afraid to stand his ground.
He’s appeared on a ton of podcasts to discuss a variety of topics from the state of the USA, politics, the culture wars, and Hollywood. He’s also expressed his displeasure at the negativity and lack of morality that’s promoted in the country today. He isn’t afraid to call things out – once stating that he’d have to play a pedophile terrorist in order to get recognized for his acting talents and to perhaps win an Oscar!
Kevin Sorbo is married to Sam Sorbo and has 3 children with her. He stated that she had warned him that his openness about his faith would be detrimental to his Hollywood career. He realized that she was right but he has no regrets. She’s also very supportive of him and the two of them often express their views together about what’s going on in the country.
Kevin Sorbo is also very patriotic and often expresses his gratitude for being an American and American exceptionalism. While this was once the norm in Hollywood, it’s largely faded away in the Hollywood of today – which is often critical of the very country it was established in!
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While being blacklisted from Hollywood is never fun, it doesn’t seem to have been such a big deal for Kevin Sorbo. He speaks out about his blacklist but he also seems to have made peace with it. He continues to act regularly and he manages to still discuss his views – no matter how much they might upset others in Hollywood.
In other words, he’s to be admired for standing his ground and perhaps other actors and actresses who are afraid to express themselves could take a page out of his book. One wonders how many closet Christians exist in Hollywood and will likely remain quiet to keep their careers.
But for now, we’ve got Kevin Sorbo and there’s still few pleasures like sitting down and watching an old episode of Hercules – while sipping on a glass of Jim Beam, of course!
So, now let’s hear from you:
Are you a fan of Kevin Sorbo? What do you think about his experiences being discriminated because of his Christian beliefs?
We certainly hope that any artistic industry will be open to different ideas and perspectives.
With that being said, here’s what we want to know:
Do you think that Hollywood will open up to more conservative views?
Or will there be parallel film industries that show different points of view – with everyone in their echo chamber?
