Kevin and Sam Sorbo: Let There Be Light

THE RELIANT
After an innocent trip to the store ends in rioting and chaos, father of five, Rick (Kevin Sorbo) rushes home desperate to gather his family and find safety. His plans are dashed when the very same armed men suddenly appear. Caught in the deadly crossfire, the children are forced to seek shelter in the surrounding woods, where they are alone and vulnerable.  Their faith and family bonds are pushed to the limit, especially those of the eldest daughter, Sophie, who questions the morality of gun ownership but soon learns that in God all things are good, including her family’s Second Amendment right to defend themselves.  It’s now up to the children to reclaim their home, find their parents, and put an end to Jack's rampage.  At the heart of The Reliant is a love story. It’s an anthem of hope in the hardest of times, of forgiveness, and of redemption. Also featuring the Benham Brothers and Nicole C. Mullen.  

MIRACLE IN EAST TEXAS
Inspired by one of the most improbably true stories ever, Miracle is an entertaining tale of two aging con-men at the dawn of the Great Depression, and the biggest oil strike in the history of the world.  Irving Tanner, Jr. (Lou Gossett, Jr.) recounts the 1930 legend. Times are hard when the unluckiest wildcatter in the world, Dad Everett (John Ratzenberger) teams up with Doc Boyd (Kevin Sorbo), a charming snake oil salesman. Together they convince several new widows (Sam Sorbo, Paula Boudreau, and others) to invest in their worthless oil wells.  Then, the unthinkable happens, and our two Casanovas are faced with a challenge: declare another dry hole for a clean escape, or bring the well in like genuine oil men, and likely spend the rest of their lives in jail?  Meanwhile, some of their investors are angry, and fixing to do something about it. What happens next? Doc preaches, the Good Lord teaches, and a judge reaches a surprising conclusion. The mostly true story will make you laugh, shed a tear, and give you pride in the God-Blessed American way.

FAITH MATTERS
The Sorbos have expressed their personal faith for years by investing their many talents in projects that promote Christian faith and values.  Their devotional, Share the Light, for example, allowed them to clearly encourage readers to develop their relationships with God. Kevin explains their motivation: “It is to do our best to balance the movies coming out of Hollywood. There are so few movies and TV shows out there that have a positive, moral and integrity- driven message. The culture is influenced by Hollywood and their agenda is opposite of how the United States was created which is Judeo-Christian values.  We are moving further and further away from Biblical principles and what has been the result:  anger, hate, divisiveness….the world just gets darker and darker.  We are trying to bring some light!”

PERSONAL LIVES

Kevin grew up in a Christian home in Minnesota.  His mother worked as a nurse and his father taught junior high school resulting in a down-to-earth upbringing that forged the outstanding work ethic Kevin holds to this day. When he was 13, he attended a Billy Graham crusade and responded to the altar call.  “It was a very happy emotional night for me,” says Kevin.  “And I always remembered it.”  In college, Kevin majored in business but secretly wanted to be an actor.  He was covering tuition costs with modeling work. He soon dropped out of the university and started his acting career in the late 80s with his first appearances on Prime Time shows such as Murder She Wrote and The Commish.  While filming Hercules in 1997, he met Sam Jenkins, the leading lady.  In their first scene, she made Kevin so nervous that he couldn’t remember his lines.

Sam grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and studied biomedical engineering at Duke University after high school.  She moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in modeling and acting and landed roles in several films and TV shows. Sam guest starred in the hit TV series, Hercules, in 1997 opposite Kevin Sorbo.  It was love at first sight, and they married in 1998.  When their oldest child started public school, Sam realized he was not learning the same values as they taught in their home.  “Your kids are a gift from God,” says Sam. “Why are you putting him or her in an institution for eight hours?”  Sam has become a huge proponent for homeschooling.  “We do not ask schools to teach anything related to God,” says Sam.  “So how will godly values enter the classroom?”  Sam believes all education starts at home.