Kevin Sorbo became a '90s icon – well, a '90s demigod – in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, but since then has been rarely seen on screen in mainstream media. Instead, he's had to pivot after, according to Kevin, the industry "booted him out". Catch up with his '90s star status, early career and family life away from the screen, as well as his pivot to independent productions...
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Kevin starred in '90s classic Hercules: The Legendary Journey
Hercules stardom
Action favourite Hercules: The Legendary Journeys ran for six seasons between 1995 and 1999 with Kevin Sorbo at its head. When the demigod's stepmother Hera kills his wife and children, Hercules sets out with his friend Iolaus on a quest for revenge that captivated audiences through the second half of the decade.
The show's executive producer Rob Tapert explained: "Kevin had done his dash and the forces of the market offered a perfect opportunity to launch a new show." Hercules closed with a family reunion and allowed the star to move onto other opportunities, following his bare-chested mainstream breakout.
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Kevin started out on screen in the mid-'80s
Early career
Kevin got his start on screen in a 1986 episode of Santa Barbara, going on to appear in episodes of 1st & Ten (1988), Cheers (1992), Murder, She Wrote (1993) and The Commish (1993).
He had several feature-length roles in the early '90s before his first appearance as Hercules in 1994's Hercules and the Amazon Woman. Several TV movies followed, including Hercules and the Lost Kingdom and Hercules and the Circle of Fire, before his beloved series debuted in 1995.
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More recently, he's found fame on Andromeda
More recent roles
His next major series role was a 110-episode run on Andromeda as Captain Dylan Hunt between 2000 and 2005, Andromeda Ascendant's commanding officer and the restorer of the Systems Commonwealth.
Kevin has also appeared on episodes of The O.C. and guested on Two and a Half Men, The Middleman and Gary Unmarried, as well as superhero series Supergirl.
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Kevin met his wife on the set of the '90s series
Married life
Kevin met his wife Sam Sorbo, then Sam Jenkins, in 1996 on the set of his iconic series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. She guest-starred as a princess, joining Kevin on screen in episodes like 'Prince Hercules'.
The actor reportedly suggested to his future wife that they should practice a kissing scene and Sam handed over a breath mint. Six months after their first date, they got engaged and tied the knot on January 5, 1998.
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He and wife Sam have welcomed three children
Father of three
Kevin is a father to three children whom he shares with wife Sam, welcoming Braeden Cooper in 2001, Shane Haaken around 2004, and daughter Octavia Flynn in 2005.
His oldest child Braeden has worked as an actor in several of his father's projects, including Let There Be Light and Miracle in East Texas. Braeden tied the knot on August 9, 2026.
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Now, Kevin's focussing on his production company which he co-founded with wife Sam
Shut out of Hollywood
While he was a major star in the '90s, Kevin stated to Premier Christianity Magazine that Hollywood "booted me out about ten years ago". Speaking to Fox News Digital, he said: "It was sad to me, you know, my manager and agent for so many years said that we can't get you jobs anymore, work with you because of you being a Christian, being a conservative."
Since then, Kevin and his wife have formed their own production company Sorbo Studios which focuses on family-friendly, faith-based entertainment, producing films like Let There Be Light and Miracle in East Texas.