By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
September 3, 1995
Its second season begins Sept. 15; the show will then air at 7 p.m. Fridays through Oct. 8,
when it moves to its permanent time slot of 4 p.m. Sundays.
Playing the superhuman son of Zeus in “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,” Kevin Sorbo is winning some godlike adulation these days. Besides getting write-ups in all the major publications, his series made Rolling Stone’s annual “Hot List.”
“Baywatch” should be nervous. The kitschy synthesis of mythical characters who speak in 1990s lingo, butt-kicking action and computer-generated special effects has made “Hercules” one of TV’s most popular syndicated series.
During a recent visit to Chicago, Sorbo, a Minnesota native, stopped by Planet Hollywood to donate a pair of leather pants his character wore last season on the action-adventure show, which is filmed in Auckland, New Zealand. Sitting in a back booth, Sorbo, who turns 37 on Sept. 24, chatted with Showcase about his career, his doll and his leather trousers.
Q. You basically wear one outfit on “Hercules,” and that’s a pair of leather pants and a vest. Were you worried that the producers would make you wear a loincloth?
Sorbo: Yes. When I got the part, the loincloth was a major concern for me. I said, “Please don’t tell me I have to wear a loincloth or a toga.” I was so relieved that they decided to go with this kind of “Last of the Mohicans” look.
Q. Come clean. Do you ever put that outfit on to go clubbing and pick up women?
Sorbo: No! (Laughs.) I don’t do anything like that. I don’t have time to go clubbing. My social life is pretty much zero, not that I’m complaining. But between shooting the show, working out and reading the scripts, I average about 4 1/2 to 5 hours of sleep a night.
Q. Is it doubly difficult for you because you not only have to concentrate on being an actor, but also an athlete?
Sorbo: Not really because I’ve always loved sports and have always worked out. So it’s not like I had to all of the sudden adapt to a different way of life. I used to get a little more sleep before this series, but that’s about it.
Q. I hear there will be a Hercules doll coming out. Does he look like you?
Sorbo: Yes. The doll is coming out in November, along with dolls of Iolaus (Michael Hurst) and Xena (Lucy Lawless), and four or five different creatures. They showed me the prototype of the Hercules doll, and the face really looks like me. It was very strange. I haven’t seen the body to it yet, though. They’ve also got pillowcases and sheets and all these other things coming out, so it’s going to be very weird when I walk into a department store.
