ArkaEvren
Karl Urban

ACTOR · BORN 1972

Karl Urban

Born
7 June 1972, Wellington, New Zealand
Known for
Star Trek (2009), The Boys (2019), Priest (2011), Doom (2005)

23 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026

Karl Urban (born 7 June 1972) is an actor best known for Star Trek, The Boys and Priest.

Karl Urban over the years

Karl Urban in 2005 (age 33)
2005 · age 33jonzerthemighty, CC BY-SA 2.0
Karl Urban in 2016 (age 44)
2016 · age 44Crosa from Nuernberg, CC BY 2.0

23 Interesting Facts About Karl Urban

Interesting Facts (6)

  1. #001

    Karl Urban is an artist who cares about contributing to society. As an ambassador for the charity KidsCan, he supports the provision of shoes, food and jackets to more than 16,000 disadvantaged children. This role reveals his sensitivity not only as an actor but also as an individual with social responsibility.

    Karl Urban — a scene
    Karl Urban: a sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  2. #002

    Karl Urban became very good friends with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, with whom he appeared in Star Trek (2009). This friendship was a result of the harmonious working environment on set, and the close relationship among the trio also contributed to the film's success.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  3. #003

    Karl Urban has a black Lab terrier named Ire. The name was inspired by a song on Bob Marley's album "Uprising" and is pronounced "eye-ree". Urban giving his dog such a meaningful name reflects his love of music and art.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  4. #004

    Karl Urban has played younger versions of iconic characters in two different prequels. He played Woodrow Call in the Lonesome Dove (1989) prequel Comanche Moon (2008), and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in Star Trek (2009). These roles reveal his ability to bring a fresh breath to classic characters.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  5. #005

    At the ages of 11 and 12, Karl Urban performed Frank Spencer sketches he had written himself for entertainment at school assemblies. He wore a beret and a jacket for these sketches. The experience shows his early interest in the performing arts and his creativity.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  6. #006

    Karl Urban was a classmate of Jack Yan during his primary school years. Jack Yan later became a well-known businessman and media executive. This classmate connection is an interesting detail about Urban's past.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport

Behind the Scenes (1)

  1. #007

    During the filming of The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), Karl Urban and some of his fellow actors found an entertaining way to pass their downtime on set. He played Dungeons & Dragons with Vin Diesel, Judi Dench and Thandiwe Newton. It is a pleasant anecdote that shows the close relationship among the cast.

    BEHIND THE SCENES · SOURCED

    ShareReport

Characters & Cast (5)

  1. #008

    Karl Urban's accent as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in Star Trek (2009) reminded Leonard Nimoy so strongly of DeForest Kelley from the original series that it moved him. Nimoy had appeared alongside Kelley in the original Star Trek series and films, and Urban's performance brought him to tears. It is a sign of how faithful Urban remained to the character and how well he met fans' expectations.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  2. #009

    Karl Urban is a big fan of Harrison Ford's iconic character Indiana Jones. His admiration runs so deep that he named his son after the character: "Indiana". The name is a meaningful choice that reflects Urban's love of and admiration for cinema history.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  3. #010

    Long before taking on the role of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in Star Trek (2009), Karl Urban was a fan of both Doctor Who and Star Trek. His admiration for these two science fiction legends reveals his interest in such productions and his attachment to the science fiction universe.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  4. #011

    The Cupid character played by Karl Urban was originally to appear in "Motherhood", the fifth-season finale of Xena: Warrior Princess (1995). However, Urban was unavailable at the time because he was filming The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand. Thereupon producer Rob Tapert wrote the sixth-season episode "When Fates Collide" especially for him, and this time he played the more popular character Julius Caesar. Tapert also used this episode as an opportunity to bid farewell to two other recurring characters that fans loved, Alti and Brutus.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  5. #012

    Karl Urban took over the character of Woodrow Call, played by Tommy Lee Jones in the Lonesome Dove series, and the character of Judge Dredd, played by Sylvester Stallone. Both characters had previously appeared in films opposite Diane Lane. Urban's taking on these iconic roles was an important step that gave him the opportunity to bring his own interpretation to the characters.

    Karl Urban — Judge Dredd
    Karl Urban: Judge DreddImage: Wikimedia Commons · GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

    ShareReport

Career & Awards (4)

  1. #013

    Throughout his acting career, Karl Urban has formed close friendships with many notable names. He is very good friends with Viggo Mortensen, with whom he appeared in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and with Renée O'Connor from the series Xena: Warrior Princess (1995). These friendships are a sign of strong bonds that continued off set.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  2. #014

    Karl Urban began his acting career at the age of eight. His first role was a single line in an episode of the New Zealand television series "Pioneer Woman". This small step foreshadowed the great successes he would later achieve.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  3. #015

    Throughout his career, Karl Urban was introduced in the second films of three major franchises: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Chronicles of Riddick (2004). This situation shows the importance of his roles in these series and his contribution to the stories.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  4. #016

    Karl Urban was initially considered for the role of Kainan in Outlander (2008). However, due to delays in the production, he withdrew from the project and decided to make Pathfinder (2007) instead. The role of Kainan ultimately went to Jim Caviezel. This decision was a significant turning point in Urban's career.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

    ShareReport

Life & Family (7)

  1. #017

    Karl Urban has been an active person all his life. In his youth he worked for many years at various jobs on his uncle's and aunt's farm. When he realized that Eomer, the character he played in The Lord of the Rings films, had to be a skilled rider, he undertook an intense training process to improve himself in this area. For six to eight weeks he trained in horse riding five days a week, two hours a day. He especially wanted to learn to guide the horse with one hand, so that his other hand would be free to use a sword. This dedicated work shows his desire to fully become the character.

    LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  2. #018

    Karl Urban has been a big fan of the famous 2000 AD Comics character Judge Dredd since his youth. This admiration led him to play the character in the film adaptation Dredd (2012). Urban's passion for the role was reflected in his performance and was received with praise by fans.

    Karl Urban — Judge Dredd
    Karl Urban: Judge DreddImage: Wikimedia Commons · GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0

    LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  3. #019

    Karl Urban decided to take a role in the film adaptation Doom (2005) because of his interest in video games. Taking part in this film, adapted from a popular video game, shows his passion for the gaming world and his interest in such projects.

    LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  4. #020

    Karl Urban's father is a German immigrant and owned a leather goods factory. His mother worked at Film Facilities in Wellington, New Zealand. This family background may have laid the foundation for Urban's interest in the world of cinema.

    LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  5. #021

    In the series Xena: Warrior Princess (1995), Karl Urban played various roles such as Emperor Julius Caesar, the caveman Kor and the biblical character Mael. He also appeared in the series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995) as Cupid, son of Aphrodite, and as Caesar. These versatile performances show that he has a wide acting range.

    LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  6. #022

    Karl Urban has said that his favourite episode of Xena: Warrior Princess (1995) is A Day in the Life (1997), in which he does not appear at all. This shows that he appreciated the series not only as an actor but also as a fan.

    LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  7. #023

    Karl Urban had a romantic relationship with actress Katee Sackhoff between 2014 and 2018. The relationship took place during a period when both actors had busy careers. This information about Urban's private life gives an idea of his personal life.

    LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED

    ShareReport

Related pages

  • Doom — Karl Urban comes up in the facts on that page
  • Frank Welker — Karl Urban comes up in the facts on that page
  • Michael Biehn — Karl Urban comes up in the facts on that page

Continue through the archive

Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • Wikipedia English Wikipedia article
  • IMDb IMDb name page (biography and trivia)

Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work