Hercules: The Legendary Journeys was silly, campy, and a lot of fun to watch.
The '90s TV phenomenon earned a dedicated worldwide fanbase—and generated the successful
spinoffs Young Hercules and Xena: Warrior Princess.
Let's take a look back at the pantheon of stars from the Hercules universe, and find
out where they are today.
Kevin Sorbo
From 1995 to 1999, Kevin Sorbo starred as the title character of Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys.
In the show, Hercules adventured through ancient Europe, confronting evil beings and other
challenges along the way.
Despite facing challenges with his personal health—like the three strokes he suffered
because of an aneurysm in his shoulder—Sorbo has continued acting, starring in projects
like the sci-fi drama series Andromeda from 2000 to 2005.
More recently, Sorbo had a recurring role in the CW series Supergirl, and he's lined
up nearly a dozen films for release in 2017 and 2018.
Michael Hurst
New Zealand native Michael Hurst co-starred in The Legendary Journeys as Iolaus, friend
and sidekick to Hercules.
Like Sorbo, Hurst reprised his role in a few episodes of the Hercules spinoff show, Xena:
Warrior Princess.
He has continued acting since Hercules, and he's also turned his attention to writing
and directing.
He's recently directed episodes of Ash vs. Evil Dead and the New Zealand show Westside.
Lucy Lawless
What started out as a guest role on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys turned into a career-making
move for Lucy Lawless when she was given her own spin-off series, Xena: Warrior Princess.
Lawless has maintained a successful acting career since then, appearing in dozens of
films and shows.
Notably, she guest-starred in 16 episodes of Battlestar Galactica and in the Starz series
Spartacus.
Lawless also had a recurring role on Parks and Recreation, and a major part on Ash vs
Evil Dead.
Robert Trebor
When Hercules wasn't partnered with Iolaus for an adventure, he frequently traveled with
the crafty salesman Salmoneus, played by Robert Trebor.
Trebor has continued to appear in television shows and on the big screen, landing a list
of parts that includes guest roles in Boomtown and The Devil's Rejects.
Most recently, Trebor played "The Producer" in the 2016 Coen brothers comedy Hail, Caesar!
Jeffrey Thomas
For 16 episodes of Hercules, Jeffrey Thomas played the legendary ruler King Jason.
Thomas later appeared as Titus in the Starz series Spartacus and the dwarf king Thror
in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
In 2015, he starred in the horror film The Dead Room.
More recently, Thomas appeared in The Light Between Oceans alongside Alicia Vikander and
Michael Fassbender.
Kevin Tod Smith
New Zealand actor Kevin Tod Smith landed a major recurring role on Hercules and the Xena
spinoff as Ares, the God of War.
Between the two shows, he starred in over 50 episodes, often filming for both productions
at the same time.
Smith seemed to have a promising career ahead of him, and was cast to appear in the Bruce
Willis war drama Tears of the Sun, but he passed away before he could film the part.
Smith accidentally fell from a prop tower and suffered major injuries which led to his
death on February 15th, 2002.
Bruce Campbell
Although he's much better known for his role as Ash in the Evil Dead franchise, Bruce Campbell
starred in The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess as Autolycus—the self-proclaimed
"King of Thieves" who occasionally assists Hercules and Xena on their adventures.
Campbell was also an executive producer for Hercules.
Campbell has appeared in dozens of films and television shows in the years since.
Most recently, he returned to his roots by starring in the Starz comedy/action series
Ash vs Evil Dead.
Alexandra Tydings
For 10 episodes of Hercules and 11 episodes of Xena, Alexandra Tydings played Aphrodite,
the Greek goddess of love and half-sister of Hercules.
Despite the "dumb blonde" stereotype she portrayed as Aphrodite, Tydings is one smart cookie.
She largely retired from acting after Xena and turned her attention to writing and directing.
Gina Torres
While she's better known these days for her role as Zoe in Firefly, many fans will remember
Gina Torres as the pirate Nebula from Hercules.
Torres has had a strong Hollywood career since Hercules, landing major roles in 24, Cleopatra
2525, and Alias.
More recently, she appeared in the ABC series The Catch and provided the voice of Ikora
Rey in the video game Destiny 2.
Joel Tobeck
While he primarily played the Greek god Strife in The Legendary Journeys, Joel Tobeck also
appeared as Strife's cousin Deimos in both Hercules and Xena.
In addition to a significant role in Sons of Anarchy, Tobeck later reunited with several
of his castmates for other projects, including Bruce Campbell and Lucy Lawless in Ash vs
Evil Dead.
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