THE upcoming action comedy movie "Meet the Spartans" from spoof kings Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer who brought us "Date Movie" and "Epic Movie" is set at the backdrop of the highly-stylized world of Sparta depicted in "300" where Leonidas (played by Sean Maguire) leads an army of 13 men to battle the Persians.

For the role of Leonidas’ right hand man, the Captain, the filmmakers cast Kevin Sorbo, no stranger to the sword/sandal/codpiece genre through his years as the titular hero in the popular TV series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." "We liked the concept of casting someone as Captain who was in the mold of a real tough guy, with great physical presence," explains Friedberg. "Obviously, Kevin was an ideal choice, he was the ultimate tough guy – Hercules – for so many years."

The filmmakers and Sorbo even reference, in "Meet the Spartans," the actor’s signature role. Friedberg explains. "It’s fun to play off a role in which one of our actors is closely identified," says Friedberg. "There’s a (naughty) line in ‘Meet the Spartans’ from Kevin and [test] audiences seemed to really like that line. It’s a bit of a wink, but it’s fun. And we like to occasionally include stuff like that."

Sorbo, who did much of his own stunt work in "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and in his follow-up series, the science fiction epic "Andromeda," found the sword fighting action in the movie very much in his comfort zone. But in addition to the usual action heroics, he was required to pull off a very non-traditional mode of combat. "The Captain is pitted in a brutal kind of dance contest," says Sorbo. "We have a stomp-off instead of an actual fight sequence."

Kevin Sorbo who has worked extensively in film and television since the mid-1980s, is best known for his breakout role as the star of the long-running hit television series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys," which began airing in 1995. The series turned Sorbo into an international star. Following the end of the series in 1999, Sorbo had a recurring role on the critically acclaimed TV series "Dharma & Greg." His other television work includes a recurring role on "The Q.C.," including "Last Chance Café," "Something Beneath," "Avenging Angel" and "Walking Tall."

Sorbo is the chair and spokesperson for "A World Fit for Kids!" which is a successful mentoring model that trains inner-city teens to use school, fitness, sports and positive role models for themselves, and then become the coaches and mentors for younger children.

"Meet the Spartans" opens very soon from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.