"I was not someone who went to conventions, but I had seen every episode [of the original Star Trek] 20 times," said Kevin Sorbo, who explained that he later took a role in Andromeda because of his admiration for Gene Roddenberry.

The 48-year-old actor, who became famous playing the title character in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, told The OC Register that he appreciated being called about Andromeda but he always wanted to act in a Western - a dream which has come true on the Hallmark Channel where he appears in Avenging Angel as a minister whose family is killed by greedy robber barons.

"I don't want to come across as egotistical, but with my size and look, I thought I would be in Westerns," said 6'3" Sorbo, whose muscles were admired by many when he played the half-divine Hercules. That role allowed him to spoof many Western cliches, as well as fantasy movies, historical epics, even science fiction.

"We played 'Hercules' with tongue firmly in cheek...we made fun of ourselves," Sorbo noted. "'Andromeda' didn't have a lot of humor in it." Nor does his new role as a preacher who must decide whether to turn the man who murdered his family over to justice or whether to take a more personal vengeance. "He can't protect his family. He goes off the deep end."

Andromeda, which ran from 2000 to 2005, allowed him to play a starship captain who sometimes had to make similar decisions. "I got a call from Majel [Barrett Roddenberry]," he explained, and because he had always been a fan of Star Trek, he was immediately interested in the role. In addition to starring on the series, Sorbo served as an executive producer.

The original article is here.

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