Jennifer Anju Grossman Atlas Society CEO, former Cato Institute policy director and former speechwriter for President H.W. Bush This post is hosted on the Huffington Post's Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and post freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.
Kevin Sorbo, a neighbor and upright family man, has just made headlines for landing a role as a mystery villain on the hit TV series Supergirl. Sorbo will make an interesting villain, as hes known for playing heroes, most famously Hercules. But I think hed make a pretty impressive John Galt if Atlas Shrugged were ever turned into a TV mini-series. Here are five reasons why:
1) Sorbo has already played a John Galt-like character in an indie film called Alongside Night, based on a 1979 novel by Neil Schulman. Writing for HollywoodInvestigator.com, Thomas M. Sipo observes:
In the near future, the U.S. government grows ever more oppressive as it tries to avert economic collapse due to its excessive taxing, borrowing, spending, and regulation. Meanwhile, a morally principled group of anti-government cadres prepares for a freer, post-socialist America.alongside-night-movie-poster.jpg Atlas Shrugged? No, it's Alongside Night, a new indie film based on the 1979 novel of the same name.
The two films do differ on some ideological points. Atlas Shrugged promotes Ayn Rand's Objectivism, a philosophy that supports small government. Rand expressly rejected anarchism. By contrast, Alongside Night advocates Agorism, a school of anarchism founded by Samuel E. Konkin III.
2) Sorbo has got his act together. Objectivism holds that a mans life is his standard of value, and by that metric, Sorbo has a lot of virtues that have enabled him to live a productive, independent, loving, and full life.
I first met Kevin and his wife Sam through mutual friends when I worked at Dole Food Company, and they lived a stones throw from our headquarters in a sprawling house in Westlake Village, California. I ended up getting to know Sam better, and was awed by how this gorgeous, vibrant women managed to homeschool her three children while continuing her acting career and hosting a radio show. But Ill never forget the time that I my old Porsche has broken down for the umteenth time, and Kevin gave me a ride to the repair shop. Distractingly handsome, he turned all the Hollywood stereotypes on their head, with a quiet, modest presence and genuine benevolent interest in others well being.
A man of faith, Sorbo is not an Objectivist, and likely doesnt know and wouldnt care about the label anyway. But he sure does seem to live his life according to at least some Objectivist ethics, which hold: Man must choose his actions, values and goals by the standard of that which is proper to manin order to achieve, maintain, fulfill and enjoy that ultimate value, that end in itself, which is his own life.
In so doing, hes a better man, a better father, a better husband -- and clearly, a better, more professional, more disciplined actor -- than others who live their lives by whim and wishful thinking.
3) Sorbo, like Ayn Rand, believes in the primacy of the individual and the perils of government control. Check out the interview below, in which he says: Take public education, you can take post office, the IRS, everything the government puts it hand on they seem to destroy it... This country was built on individuals, never built on government, and I think our forefathers are turning over in their graves.
In an interview with The Blaze he talked about how this country fails to learn the lessons of history: I keep asking my far-left liberal friends to show me where socialism works show me where socialism has ever been successful. For this reason, he may resonate with the unique gift of Atlas Shrugged and Objectivism, which challenges collectivism on moral grounds.
4) Related, yet not quite the same: Sorbo is an individualist who has repeatedly challenged groupthink and political correctness. Hollywood screams tolerance, but theyre the least tolerant people youll ever meet in your life, he said in one interview with the Blaze. The hypocrisy just reeks in this town. Why cant we all have a point of view.
That theme -- tolerance, diversity of views, and a spirit of inquiry -- was at the core of a 2014 movie Sorbo starred in, Gods Not Dead. In it, Sorbo plays a professor who demands that each of his students sign a declaration that God is dead to pass the class. I can easily see Sorbo playing a similar villain, of a professor requiring students to sign proof of Christianity to pass class. The point is more about freedom of religion and freedom of speech, than promoting an evangelical point of view.
5) Sorbo looks the part -- right down to the coloring Ayn Rand envisioned:
he looked as if he were poured out of metal, but some dimmed, soft-lustered metal, like an aluminum-copper alloy, the color of his skin blending with the chestnut-brown of his hair, the loose strands of the hair shading from brown to gold in the sun, and his eyes completing the colors, as the one part of the casting left undimmed and harshly lustrous: his eyes were the deep, dark green of light glinting on metal.
Rands heroes combine forceful character, good looks, quiet strength and extreme masculinity. Roark, Rearden, Andrei, Leo...all these love interests were portrayed as handsome, dominant men who physically towered over their women, as the 63 Sorbo does in real life.
So what do you think? Would Sorbo make a good Galt? Who would be your pick for casting the roles in a remake of Atlas Shrugged?
Read more:
5 Reasons Kevin Sorbo Should Play John Galt - Huffington Post
- Why The Invincible Created New Characters Instead of Using Rohan - GameRant - November 2nd, 2023 [November 2nd, 2023]
- What is Objectivism? Ayn Rand's Philosophy - The Collector - November 2nd, 2023 [November 2nd, 2023]
- Sean Speer: The Left has a self-policing problem - The Hub - November 2nd, 2023 [November 2nd, 2023]
- It's 'Atlas Shrugged' and we're watching it live - Financial Times - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Jesse Kline: 'How to Blow Up a Pipeline' film's reprehensible attempt to mainstream terrorism - National Post - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Atlas (mythology) - Wikipedia - January 17th, 2023 [January 17th, 2023]
- Controversy King Aaron Rodgers Once Willingly F*cked Around With Everyone By Bragging About Owning Atlas Shrugged - The Sportsrush - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- John Henry Kelley II: Everything you need to know about Michelle Pfeiffer's son - Yen.com.gh - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Five myths about Ayn Rand and Objectivism - Learn Liberty - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest - AynRand.org - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Mike Rowe and Ayn Rand on the Virtues of Thinking and Producing - The Objective Standard - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- The pandemic economy will outlast the outbreak of covid | Mint - Mint - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Much Of The Pandemic Economy Is Here To Stay - Financial Advisor Magazine - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Why I Think The EV Tax Credits In The Inflation Reduction Act Will Work Out - CleanTechnica - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- 25 And Counting - The Source Weekly - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- What is a Libertarian? Part I: The Libertarian Movement - 1819 News - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Heather Nepa: A Desire to be a Difference-Maker - UNLV NewsCenter - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- The Top 10 Books Billionaires Recommend - Forbes - July 21st, 2022 [July 21st, 2022]
- Telling People About Atlas Shrugged Now? - Galt's Gulch - July 7th, 2022 [July 7th, 2022]
- Ken Griffin Spent $54 Million Fighting a Tax Increase for the Rich. Secret IRS Data Shows It Paid Off for Him. - ProPublica - July 7th, 2022 [July 7th, 2022]
- LETTER: Thank cadre deployment and BEE for the mess - BusinessLIVE - July 7th, 2022 [July 7th, 2022]
- Is American democracy already lost? Half of us think so but the future remains unwritten - Salon - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Atlas shrugged: Getting mad with maps with attitude about latitude - Times of India - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Short Redhead Reel Reviews for the week of June 10 - ECM Publishers - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Connecticut conservatives are wary about a misinformation officer overseeing 2022 election - Hartford Courant - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Which Dystopian Story Does 2022 Resemble the Most? - Foundation for Economic Education - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Free Books - AynRand.org - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- Atlas Shrugged Is A Feminist Tome - datalounge.com - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- Liberalism versus Reaction in Ayn Rand Liberal Currents - Liberal Currents - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- Why Critics of Angry Woke College Kids Are Missing the Point - The New York Times - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- Digging into the Atom Bomb's Effects on Cold War America - PopMatters - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- Bong Joon-ho's Mickey7 Adaptation Has the Potential to Be a Truly Great Science Fiction Movie - tor.com - April 27th, 2022 [April 27th, 2022]
- Thomas Piketty Is Right Out of Ayn Rands Nightmare - The Wall Street Journal - April 17th, 2022 [April 17th, 2022]
- Members Outspoken on The Left's Priorities - AMAC - The Association of Mature American Citizens - AMAC - April 13th, 2022 [April 13th, 2022]
- In The Midst Of Election Night Success, There Are Concerns For November - Wisconsin Right Now - April 11th, 2022 [April 11th, 2022]
- OPINION | EDITORIAL: Gas on the fire - Arkansas Online - March 27th, 2022 [March 27th, 2022]
- The Right Is Still the Enemy of Freedom - Jacobin magazine - March 27th, 2022 [March 27th, 2022]
- Genetics and Geography Don't Make a Family - The Cut - March 13th, 2022 [March 13th, 2022]
- Adecoagro: The Most Inexpensive And Speculative Farmland One Can Buy - Seeking Alpha - March 13th, 2022 [March 13th, 2022]
- Why The Bioshock Film Adaptation Is Going To Be Huge - The Workprint - February 19th, 2022 [February 19th, 2022]
- The Woman Who Won't, and Wouldn't, Appear on the Quarter - New Ideal - February 17th, 2022 [February 17th, 2022]
- Letters and feedback: Feb. 13, 2021 - Florida Today - February 15th, 2022 [February 15th, 2022]
- Happy birthday to the great Ayn Rand - Press-Enterprise - February 9th, 2022 [February 9th, 2022]
- Ranking the 10 Best Manning Cast Guests During Eli and Peyton Manning's First Season - Sportscasting - January 19th, 2022 [January 19th, 2022]
- Novak Djokovic is a profile in selfishness, and sports leaders are failing us all - ESPN - January 19th, 2022 [January 19th, 2022]
- Atlas Shrugged: Part II - Wikipedia - January 11th, 2022 [January 11th, 2022]
- Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb - January 11th, 2022 [January 11th, 2022]
- Twitter Freaks After Aaron Rodgers Touts 'Atlas Shrugged' - January 9th, 2022 [January 9th, 2022]
- Leftists completely lose it after Aaron Rodgers says Ayn ... - January 9th, 2022 [January 9th, 2022]
- Who is John Galt ? | Opinion | murrayledger.com - Murray Ledger and Times - January 9th, 2022 [January 9th, 2022]
- Wall Street is looking at Fed and the virus the wrong way, analyst says - MarketWatch - January 9th, 2022 [January 9th, 2022]
- Here's Aaron Rodgers' strong response to one NFL MVP voter - Packers Wire - January 9th, 2022 [January 9th, 2022]
- Your Opinion: Doomed to live in our mess - Jefferson City News Tribune - December 23rd, 2021 [December 23rd, 2021]
- The Remnant: Bitcoins Game Of Thrones - Bitcoin Magazine - December 23rd, 2021 [December 23rd, 2021]
- The Monster of We : Throughline - NPR - December 22nd, 2021 [December 22nd, 2021]
- Whats New on Netflix & Top 10s: December 17th, 2021 - What's on Netflix - December 22nd, 2021 [December 22nd, 2021]
- John Dutton, the Future First Spite-Governor in U.S. History - The Ringer - December 22nd, 2021 [December 22nd, 2021]
- The New Luxury Vacation: Being Dumped in the Middle of Nowhere - The New Yorker - November 25th, 2021 [November 25th, 2021]
- Top 10 medical exemptions granted to unvaccinated Conservative MPs - The Beaverton - November 25th, 2021 [November 25th, 2021]
- Capitalism's over: The man who made millions by betting the economy would never recover - New Statesman - November 19th, 2021 [November 19th, 2021]
- John Galt - Wikipedia - November 9th, 2021 [November 9th, 2021]
- Review of Edward Younkins, Exploring Atlas Shrugged: Ayn ... - November 9th, 2021 [November 9th, 2021]
- 'I wasn't an activist before that day' Newly released from prison, Vladislav Mordasov wants to put his time 'on the inside' to use Meduza - Meduza - November 5th, 2021 [November 5th, 2021]
- Elon Musk is just the latest in a long line of insecure billionaires - The Irish Times - November 5th, 2021 [November 5th, 2021]
- Atlas Shrugged II: The Strike (2012) - IMDb - November 1st, 2021 [November 1st, 2021]
- Biting the bullet on structural change The Bowdoin Orient - The Bowdoin Orient - November 1st, 2021 [November 1st, 2021]
- In the studio with Lucy McKenzie - Apollo Magazine - November 1st, 2021 [November 1st, 2021]
- Atlas Shrugged: Full Book Summary | SparkNotes - October 28th, 2021 [October 28th, 2021]
- Opinion | What 'Dune' Gets Right that 'Foundation' Doesn't - The New York Times - October 28th, 2021 [October 28th, 2021]
- Romney Says Billionaires Will Just Buy Paintings if Taxes Raised - Second Nexus - October 28th, 2021 [October 28th, 2021]
- UT Austin's Liberty Institute? What's that, professors ask - Inside Higher Ed - September 26th, 2021 [September 26th, 2021]
- FROM THE OPINION PAGE My literary palate continues to expand with each passing year - Bluefield Daily Telegraph - September 26th, 2021 [September 26th, 2021]
- Brandy Melville: Behind the Scenes at the 'Evil' Fast-Fashion Empire - Business Insider - September 8th, 2021 [September 8th, 2021]
- The Truly Amazing Al Ruddy Delivers Cry Macho After All These Years - Deadline - September 8th, 2021 [September 8th, 2021]
- 14 Best Books To Read Ever On National Read A Book Day 2021 - International Business Times - September 8th, 2021 [September 8th, 2021]
- On the frontier, trains brought progress. They still do. - Kansas Reflector - August 22nd, 2021 [August 22nd, 2021]
- Forum, Aug. 3: NH government back on a right-wing leash - Valley News - August 4th, 2021 [August 4th, 2021]
- Atlas Shrugged Part III: Who Is John Galt? - Wikipedia - August 2nd, 2021 [August 2nd, 2021]
- Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt? (2014) - IMDb - August 2nd, 2021 [August 2nd, 2021]
- Of prophets, patriots, demons and the three C's - Santa Barbara News-Press - August 2nd, 2021 [August 2nd, 2021]