Kevin Sorbo Recalls The ‘Moving’ Moment When He Met Rev. Billy Graham
By Movieguide® Contributor
Kevin Sorbo, known for his roles in faith-based movies like GOD’S NOT DEAD and LEFT BEHIND, recently opened up about his faith journey and how a chance meeting with Rev. Billy Graham changed his life.
“I’ve been a Christian all my life … I grew up that way,” he shared. “I grew up in a very strong Lutheran family.”
Sorbo was involved with a number of youth programs at his church and bonded with an “awesome” youth pastor.
At age 13, Sorbo met Graham at the St. Paul Fairgrounds.
“It was so moving for me; I remember it very vividly,” Sorbo shared. “And I remember, because I did something I normally wouldn’t do.”
He explained that he was not typically a “pick me” sort of audience member, but when Graham asked people to come to the front, Sorbo felt called to go up.
“All of a sudden, a hand went on my head and I turned around and it was the Rev. Graham,” Sorbo remembered. “And … we had a little chat.”
Graham prayed for Sorbo and it was a moment the actor remembered for the rest of his life.
He got the chance to collaborate with Graham on a book titled, “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Billy Graham & Me: 101 Inspiring Personal Stories from Presidents, Pastors, Performers, and Other People Who Know Him Well.”
Sorbo shared his story of meeting Graham, calling it “such an honor.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Sorbo’s acting career and his commitment to making faith-based movies:
He may have been HERCULES, but Kevin Sorbo says more people recognize him from his work on faith-based projects than on secular ones.
“It just reminded me of what I’m doing for my part in a little way to be a harvester hopefully for Jesus and for God,” Sorbo told Movieguide®’s Evy Baehr Carroll in an interview for his new documentary, AGAINST THE TIDE.
“These movies that we do [faith-based movies], they get out there and they spread out to so many people and they’re going to be out there forever,” he continued.
Sorbo said that putting together faith-based content can often feel discouraging, especially considering the small budgets they receive compared to major blockbusters.
However, “I know we’re doing good projects with good messages about faith and love and hope and redemption and laughter,” Sorbo said.
“If you look at what’s going on the world right now, it’s all about anger and divisiveness,” Sorbo said. “We have to battle to go against politics, we’re downstream of culture. Who runs the culture? Hollywood does, and look at the movies they’re putting out. So we’re trying to get movies that have a good message and a positive message that people can relate to.”
Sorbo previously won the Grace Prize® for the Most Inspiring Performance in Movies in 2010 at the Movieguide® Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry for his role in WHAT IF.
“Ever since I was 11. I wanted to be an actor. If you grew up in Hollywood, that would be a normal thing. But, I grew up in a little town outside of Minneapolis, and that was sort of an odd thing,” Sorbo said in his acceptance speech.
“I wanted to do what movies and television did to me and to other people. I wanted to be in a medium that could make people think, make them laugh, make them cry, inspire them, teach them. Thank you, God,” Sorbo said.
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +4