Kevin Sorbo on Faith and Mentorship

Kevin Sorbo is best known for his role as Hercules. During the series’ seven year run, he did about 85% of his own stunts. He fully admits that he did not do the crazy ones where he could break his neck. We interviewed him in 2011 and talked about how his faith affects the roles and decisions he makes as well as the mentoring program that he is a spokesperson for.

Sorbo shares how his faith affects his decisions, picking roles, who to work with and trusting people.

“Our business got hurt just like anybody else-it’s tough out there right now. There are less movies being made; less television [show] being made; they still got to put it out there though because people still want the product. A lot of shows that wouldn’t have lasted three, four or live years are lasting into season six and seven only because it’s so expensive to start up a new show. The studios just say, ‘I know we aren’t doing great in the ratings on this show, but let’s keep it going because at least here is an audience of some kind.’ Studios don’t want to take chances right now. People’s salaries are being cut, and all these things are happening. It’s not like I take anything that comes along, but I’m still an actor and I still enjoy trying on different hats so to speak. I really mixed it up this past year-and-a-half with a lot of different roles. Besides ‘What If’…out there right now, I have another faith-based movie, called, ‘Soul Surfer,’ coming out. It’s the one with Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, and Carrie Underwood…I’ve got another faith-based movie called ‘Rebound’ that I start shooting in Salt Lake City in February, and then I have three other faith-based films that I’ve raised 50 percent of the money for through my production company. I guess I’m leaning more toward faith-based films, but I’m mixing it up.”

 ^“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

 “I grew up in a very lucky environment. My dad as a public schoolteacher didn’t make a lot of money but I still grew up with a very strong safety net-my mom and dad, my neighbors, my coaches, my community, my schools-and I want to return the favor to kids that didn’t have that growing up. I work with inner-city schools here in Los Angeles. We work with over 12 thousand kids, and the school district here, like many big cities, has a huge dropout rate. LA County has a 54 percent dropout rate starting as low as the fifth grade-it’s crazy. But the 12 thousand kids that this program works with form first grade through twelfth, has a 98 percent graduation rate. We received an award a few years ago from Governor Schwarzenegger for having the best after school program in the state of California and we’ve decided to go nationwide with it. We’re branching out to other cities now.”

 Risen Reflections

Let your faith be your foundation. Whether it is a career choice or a daily decision, allow your faith to help guide your decisions. If you are having trouble deciding what to do, seek God’s direction. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Often times, it helps to seek the wisdom of those who have been through a similar situation. Ask a trusted friend, pastor or small group leader for their input into the situation.

Mentor someone. There are people all around us that could use a mentor. It could be a student, athlete, co-worker or young person at your church. You don’t have to have it all together in order to mentor someone. Just share with them the things God has taught you. Sometimes it is helpful to share a trade, talent or hobby that you have in common as a platform for your time together. Think of the people in your life that have impacted you and poured into you. You can have a similar impact on the life of someone else too!

Get a mentor. If you are just starting out in your faith, find a mentor. Many churches and ministries have mentor programs that match people who want to be mentored with people who have a desire to help others. If your church doesn’t have this, ask your small group leader or a pastor if they have any suggestions. Pray that God would connect you with the right person.

To read our entire interview with Kevin Sorbo, click here.