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EQUANIMITY
|
Summer editioN 2013
heart & soul
Kevin Sorbo
rB:
Let's move on to your recent movie project, Abel's Field. It's a movie about
a kid who is trying to support his twin sisters while trying to figure out who he is.
How did you get involved with this project?
KS:
The director, Gordie Haakstad, and the producer, Tore Knos, came to me
with the script five years ago. I loved the project and we embarked on a three-
year journey just to get it financed. We shot it in Thrall, Texas, just north of
Austin. The story is a modern day telling of Cain and Abel meets Friday Night
Lights. Sony Studios loved the final product and picked it up for distribution, so
now it's out there.
rB:
What is the film's message?
KS:
It is a movie about second chances. People will be able to relate to the
characters. We are a very spiritual country, no matter what religion that may be,
and we have all done things in our lives that we wanted to be forgiven for. But I
know we have all done things for which we have a hard time forgiving ourselves.
rB:
How did you bring your own experiences into the film?
KS:
I always thought of myself as a loner, a drifter, even during my college years.
And that's who this guy, Abel, is. I could relate to him on so many levels. There
was a drifter in me for most of my twenty-something years. I lived in Europe for
four years and in Australia for another year before
settling in L.A. to get past the fear of chasing my own
dream. Abel reminded me of those times, and I used
that for my character study.
rB:
In addition to the book and the film, you are the
spokesperson for the charity A World Fit for Kids.
Can you tell our readers about this organization?
KS:
I called my agent to say I wanted to do
something that would help kids who lived in
unhealthy environments. I also wanted to fight
childhood obesity, prep them for life beyond school,
and encourage them to be productive members of
this world. I met with Normandie Nigh, the CEO of A
World Fit for Kids, and liked what they were doing.
I'm now in my sixteenth year working with them,
and we've grown. We have twelve thousand kids in
the L.A. Unified School District we are working with
first through twelfth graders. We have a 98 percent
graduation rate in a school district that has a 54
percent dropout rate! I go to Washington D.C. twice
a year to meet with Congress to make this program
available to all school districts in the country.
rB:
How can interested readers become involved
with the organization?
KS:
They can go to
worldfitforkids.org
.
rB:
What projects are you working on next?
KS:
I've got two movies we're getting ready to
shoot now. One's called Persecuted and the other
is Crowing Lakes. I've been staying busy. Shadow
on the Mesa for the Hallmark Channel is coming out
March 23, so mark your calendar. As I mentioned
earlier, Abel's Field is out there now on DVD along
with What If? Both are great family movies with
wonderful messages without getting preachy.
rB:
Equanimity is a magazine about life balance.
How do you balance your life?
KS:
I'm a juggler! Between my kids and driving them
around to football and basketball and karate and
track and everything. I'm an
early riser. I'm up before my
kids working on my production
company, making calls, emails,
etc. I work out every day. That is
still the best drug for anything.
Hit the gym, folks!
rB:
What advice would you like
to leave our readers with?
KS:
Don't let others set your
limitations. You can reach your
dreams. It won't be easy, but
anything worthwhile is worth
fighting for.