In Greek mythology, crowds would gather around to see the spectacle of Hercules, a demigod who battled maniacal monsters and creepy creatures. Little did we know, Hercules is a Dragon himself.

Born in Mound, Minn., Kevin Sorbo attended school at MSUM— though at the time, it was called Moorhead State— in 1977, where he studied marketing and advertising. He eventually left to travel the world to pursue modeling and commercial acting. His big break came when he was cast to play the titular character in “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,” the television series that ran 1995 to 1999. The show became a worldwide phenomenon.

Sorbo went on to star in another television series “Andromeda” for five seasons and has since been featured in several series and films, including “Soul Surfer” with Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid.

On Friday, Sorbo was the guest of honor at MSUM’s annual Founder’s Scholarship Gala, an event that raises money for various scholarships on campus. Notable members of the Fargo-Moorhead community attended as well as many professors and administrators from MSUM.

Sorbo made several appearances around campus. He attended a theater class to speak with the students and was taken on a tour of campus by a theater major and Dragon Ambassador.

“It’s weird to walk around campus, memories keep flooding back,” Sorbo said. “It’s like a time capsule; I keep expecting to bump into people.”

He also held a question and answer session in Gaede Theater to talk about his “13-year overnight success,” and his favorite memories of MSUM.

“I lived in Nelson Hall, in the beer can,” Sorbo said. “Nemzek was my second home. I’m a fitness buff so I was always working out.”

Despite the bitter cold, Sorbo said that it was a great experience to be back at MSUM. To this day, he still keeps in touch with his fellow Dragons, annually having his core group of buddies visit him in California for golf and story telling.

Before leaving, Sorbo had a few departing words for the aspiring thespians in the audience:

“Continue to chase your dreams. Always, always keep going.”

BY BRIAN ASHBURN
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PHOTO BY JESSICA FLEMING
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