Kevin Sorbo still misses parts of the California life he left behind nearly seven years ago. Moving back is another matter.
The Hercules: The Legendary Journeys star told Fox News Digital that he has no interest in returning after building a life in Florida. His explanation came down to three things he is happy to leave behind: “taxes, traffic and negativity.”
Sorbo did not pretend Florida solved every problem. He acknowledged months of intense heat and humidity and said he still misses California’s weather, his former house, his golf course and the Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks area where he lived.
Even with that list, his answer about returning was definitive. “They can keep their taxes, they can keep their traffic, and they can keep their negativity,” Sorbo said. “I’m done.”
Sorbo Says Florida Gave Him the ‘Acceptance’ He Wanted
Sorbo said the move gave him something he felt was increasingly difficult to find in California “acceptance.” He described the professional relationships he has made in Florida as “incredible” and said independent filmmakers and creators from around the country continue reaching out through Sorbo Studios.
He connected that experience to a complaint he has made repeatedly about the entertainment industry. Sorbo, an outspoken Christian and conservative, says his religious and political views cost him opportunities and led to him being “canceled.” In the latest interview, he compared what he sees as Hollywood’s treatment of conservative and Christian voices to “seventh grade mean girls.”
Entertainment Weekly noted that Sorbo has made similar claims before. Sorbo said the experience has not stopped him from working. Instead, much of his recent career has centered on independent and faith-oriented productions outside the traditional studio system.
There Are Still Things About California He Misses
His refusal to move back did not come with a claim that California had nothing left to offer him. Sorbo specifically named his old house, his golf course, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks and Southern California’s climate among the things he still misses.
Florida has its own drawback. Sorbo estimated that he deals with about five months of substantial humidity and heat, although he said the state’s winters are “really quite amazing.” For him, that tradeoff remains preferable to what he disliked about life in California. Earlier this year, Sorbo also described leaving California as an “escape” while criticizing the state’s political leadership.
‘Elijah Peel’ Reflects Sorbo’s Shift Toward Independent Faith Films
Sorbo made the California comments while promoting Elijah Peel, a faith-based rock drama inspired by a true story. He plays the longtime talent manager of a successful musician whose addiction culminates in a near-fatal heart attack before an unexpected relationship begins changing the direction of his life.
Robert Malcolm Cumming stars as Elijah, with Evelyn Grace Kite also leading the cast. Kevin D. Sepe wrote and produced the film and co-directed it with Nathan Ross Murphy, while Willie and Korie Robertson serve as executive producers alongside Terry Lee Harris.
Sorbo told Fox that projects such as Elijah Peel demonstrate why filmmakers targeting Christian audiences no longer need traditional Hollywood approval to find viewers. He argued that an existing audience is actively looking for those stories, which has helped create the independent professional network he says embraced him after his move. Elijah Peel opened in theaters on Aug. 14.