Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
Hercules: Legendary Journeys it has a lot in common with pro wrestling. The fights are all staged, the episodes are soap opera drama for men, and sometimes, the characters will get down to business themselves. Most of the time the fight scene goes off without a hitch, or at least, nothing that can't be fixed in post. During the filming of “Siege at Naxos” for Season 2, the fight between Hercules and Goth became a real fist fight that required both actors to be separated. What caused it? Jealousy.
Real Fight With Cameras
The story of the battle between Kevin Sorbo and Brian Thompson, who plays the pagan leader Goth, started before the two met. When Sorbo won the coveted role of Hercules, Thompson became the runner-up. In the back of his head, he thought the role should be his. That was enough for him to stop thinking rationally and start throwing real punches at Sorbo during the filming of the fight. Sorbo fought back, and soon, the two were separated with Thompson escorted for the day.
These things happen, no harm done, even though Thompson didn't show up Hercules again. The story of the fight carried over to the rest of the DVD box set, and while it was a little shocking that actual punches were thrown, it wasn't as bad as some of the on-set injuries Sorbo suffered while filming the show. In the first episode, he was slashed by a sword, and he took up real boxing again in the later season when he couldn't move as much as he needed to.
No Blood, No Dirt
Brian Thompson went on to a long career in Hollywood full of guest stars in every show that needed a muscular villain or tough executive. He played as aliens in many Star Trek series, from The Next Generationwith BusinessAlien Bounty Hunter is on X fileshe was there The Orvilleand recently, It falls. In retrospect, if he had been given the role of Hercules, he would have absolutely killed it.
Kevin Sorbo isn't very active these days, but part of that goes back to his time Hercules when it wasn't a bad stunt or a fight that left him with permanent injuries, it was a chiropractic adjustment. Sorbo's explained that the release of blood clots caused him to suffer, but three separate strokes while filming in New Zealand. This left him with difficulty moving, and doing so becomes more difficult when your muscles stop obeying your commands.
Hercules: Legendary Journeys was one of the most successful shows of the 90s, although it always lagged behind its spin-off, Xena: Princess Warrior. Thompson didn't get the part, and he made a fool of himself for a while, but in the end, everyone went on to find success in their own way. Considering the horror stories of the other sets, it was a great result, and at least “The Siege of Naxos” is one of the best episodes of Season 2.
