evin Sorbo may not be a Greek god, but he certainly is the king of
syndication. After a successful run on Hercules, he has now led
Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda to become an instant hit as the number-one new first-run weekly syndicated program on television this fall. That's
territory with which he's familiar.
Sorbo gained early success as a commercial actor and model, but quickly
went on to own the role of Hercules in Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys and become an international star. Hercules began as
five two-hour television films in 1993 and premiered as a syndicated
series in 1995. It soon went on to become the number-one first-run series
in syndication and prompted two spinoff series, including Xena: Warrior
Princess.
Beyond his two big syndicated television hits, Sorbo starred in the film
Kull the Conqueror and has appeared in several television shows,
including Murder She Wrote, The Commish, Cybil and
Just Shoot Me.
After Hercules ended its run last year, Sorbo joined forces with Majel Barrett Roddenberry and Robert Hewitt
Wolfe to create an original series based on an idea from the late Gene
Roddenberry. Sorbo went on to inhabit the role of Capt. Dylan Hunt, the
last starship captain of the System's Commonwealth on Andromeda. He
recently shared some of his thoughts about Andromeda and
Hercules with Science Fiction Weekly.
Congratulations on Andromeda’s success as the number-one original show in syndication. Why do you think the series is so popular?
Sorbo: The series is popular for a number of reasons. I think initially people watched the series because of the fact that it’s a Gene Roddenberry show. The number-two reason is because Hercules had a huge following. So we had the curiosity factor from all our Hercules fans and the curiosity factor from all the Gene Roddenberry fans. Had the show not been good, we wouldn’t have stayed at number one. I think the reason we’re staying at number one now is the fantastic writing and the combination of actors that are on the series.
Why did the role of Dylan Hunt appeal to you?
Sorbo: Dylan Hunt appealed to me because of his vulnerability and his human qualities. It was very appealing to play a character that is so different from Hercules. Here’s a character who is fallible. He can get hurt, die and do things that people can relate to.
Now that the characters and the setting have been established, what will we have to look forward to during the rest of the season?
Sorbo: We, the actors, are all just starting to feel like we’re getting our legs underneath us and we’re getting an idea of who our characters are. Seasons two and three are going to be fantastic. I think season one is still an introduction period for the people who are watching the series. We’re letting you know who we are and what our backgrounds are. I think once you get past that, which is necessary, you start getting more of the interesting story and plot lines. I’m not going to give away the rest of the season. ... Do you think I’m crazy?
The characters on Andromeda are complicated and often at odds with each other. There’s the feeling that if Dylan can’t bring these people together, he doesn’t have much of a chance to bring back the Commonwealth. What do you think Dylan has to do to unify his crew?
Sorbo: I think he’s already got half of the crew with him. Certainly you’ve got Beka and you’ve got Tyr who seem to have their own agendas. But that will change through the course of the season and it will definitely change with the season’s cliffhanger. It’s a pretty phenomenal episode!
In the recent episode "Angel Dark, Demon Bright," Dylan must make a horrible decision that is bound to reverberate through future episodes of the series for the crew of the Andromeda Ascendant. Your character has done everything possible to avoid killing up to this point. Yet in this episode he is responsible for the deaths of thousands. What impact do you think it will have on the series for the characters?
Sorbo: The impact of Dylan Hunt making the decision to kill 100,000 Nietzscheans shows that he is a captain who’s not going to make the same mistake twice. He had the chance before to save the Commonwealth, but he didn’t deploy the Nova bombs back at the beginning of the war. He didn’t realize, obviously, how things were going to turn out. He finds out 300 years later what his decision cost the universe. So here’s a guy who certainly has to wrestle with his morals and his struggle with what is right and what is wrong. He’s a tough man, and a fair man.
What makes Andromeda different from other shows with Gene Roddenberry’s name on them?
Sorbo: What makes this show different from other Gene Roddenberry shows is simple. I think the blend of characters is different than other Roddenberry series. It’s a younger crew, as well as being varied in its creatures that are on board, from Rev Bem to Trance. Another unique aspect is the use of Andromeda, not only as a ship, an AI, and a hologram, but also a real live person. The show is set thousands of years into the future beyond other Star Trek shows. The terminology is also different. It’s a different show for a lot of good reasons.
You directed two episodes of Hercules and co-wrote one episode. Do you have any plans to do the same with Andromeda?
Sorbo: I will be directing. I’m directing two episodes per season from here on in. Hopefully we’ll have a long run. I’m directing the first episode of season two, as well as episode eleven. As far as writing any episodes ... I have my ideas, but I think I’ll let Robert Hewitt Wolfe handle that part of it.
After a long and successful run on Hercules, many actors would have taken some time off. What made you want to jump into another television show so quickly?
Sorbo: The reason I jumped back into another television show is because I love working. I think I needed to shake off the Gilligan’s Island effect, so to speak, of playing one character who became so well known. Hercules will be in reruns for hundreds of years. It’s going to be with us for a long time. I look at this show as a chance to do something different. I’m also a Gene Roddenberry fan.
It’s been a year since Hercules finished its run, and it was a groundbreaking series in many ways. It was the number-one first-run program in syndication during much of its time on the air, and it revitalized the syndicated action and adventure genre. Can you sum up some of your thoughts about the series?
Sorbo: Summing up Hercules ... I have mixed emotions about the series. Most are positive. I had a wonderful time doing it. I made some wonderful friends. It was great for my career, and it was great for other people’s careers. Without Hercules, you never would have had Xena. So because of that Lucy Lawless has a career. I’m sure she’s grateful for that. Michael Hurst is wonderful, and he’s also a great actor. I think if he came to America he would do very well. It is amazing what that show did, and it was amazing to be a part of it, because of what the show did for our action television. You wouldn’t have had Tarzan or Conan or Sinbad or Robin Hood or Sheena or Beastmaster. All those shows came out to copy the formula of Hercules. For whatever reason, we were the first ones there and the entire team, on both sides of the camera, made the magic happen at the right time. Lightning struck and it struck in a good way.
As the spokesperson for “A World Fit for Kids!,” tell us about the organization.
Sorbo: “A World Fit For Kids!” is a mentoring foundation dealing on two levels. We train teens to become mentors to younger kids within their own neighborhoods, in effect saving two lives at the same time. We are affiliated with Collin Powell’s “America’s Promise.” We have chapters across the states, and we have chapters ready to open in other countries. You can find out more about AWFFK! at www.worldfitforkids.org. or by calling (888) 821-2181.
When you look back at your beginnings as a model and commercial actor, are you surprised at the direction your career has taken?
Sorbo: I was an actor first. The whole modeling thing happened because I was dating a model. I didn’t ever look at myself as a commercial actor. I looked at myself as an actor who did commercials to make ends meet. Commercials in America pay very well, and I was very successful. I was able to get myself involved in plays, showcases and acting classes that were good for me and my career. It was as simple as that.
What can we look forward to in the future from Kevin Sorbo?
Sorbo: Hopefully I’ll be around for a long, long time. I want a feature film career, as most actors do. It’s funny, because things are changing and the better writing is now in television. I think a lot of movies kind of suck these days, and you’ll find the better writing in television shows like West Wing, ER and Andromeda.
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