Homeschooled in her early years, Sam later traveled to Europe as a preteen, an experience she credits with shaping her worldview. She spent the final years of high school in Sweden as a foreign exchange student. She went on to earn a degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University. In her final year at Duke, she studied in Paris, where she not only learned French but also began a successful modeling career after joining Elite Model Management.

Career and Personal Development

Throughout her life, Sam Sorbo has worn many hats: actress, writer, model, radio host, hospital volunteer, philosopher, and devoted mother. Her diverse career includes film roles in productions such as Twenty Bucks, Ed and His Dead Mother, and Fortunes of War. On television, she is perhaps best known for her work in Chicago Hope and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, where she played the role of Serena.

Sam has been an active proponent of homeschooling. She frequently speaks out in favor of educational alternatives, expressing concern over what she views as a decline in the values promoted by mainstream education systems. As a result, she is regarded as a significant advocate within the homeschool community.

Marriage to Kevin Sorbo

Sam met actor Kevin Sorbo on the set of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys in 1996, where their on-screen roles as Hercules and Serena mirrored their off-screen connection. The couple began dating and became engaged six months later. They were married on January 5, 1998.

Shortly before their wedding, Kevin experienced a series of health complications, including multiple strokes. Sam temporarily put her acting career on hold to support his recovery, a period both have chronicled in Kevin's memoir, True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life. Sam contributed several chapters to the book, and Kevin has credited her with playing a pivotal role in his return to health.