Karl Urban | |
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Karl Urban speaking at the 2015 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona
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Born |
Karl-Heinz Urban 7 June 1972 Wellington, New Zealand |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1990–present |
Spouse(s) | Natalie Wihongi (m. 2004; separated 2014) |
Children | 2 |
Karl-Heinz Urban (born 7 June 1972) is a New Zealand actor. He is best known for playing Julius Caesar and Cupid in Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Éomer in the second and third installments of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Vaako in second and third installments of the Riddick film series, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond, and Judge Dredd in Dredd. He won acclaim for his performances in New Zealand films The Price of Milk and Out of the Blue. He also played the main character John Kennex in the short-lived television series Almost Human.
Urban was born in Wellington, New Zealand. His father, a German immigrant, owned a leather goods store, and his mother once worked for Film Facilities in Wellington. Through his mother, the young Urban was exposed to classic New Zealand cinema, and developed an interest in the film industry. Urban attended St Mark's Church School, where he showed an early love for public performance. His first acting role came at age eight, when he had a single line in one episode of the New Zealand television series Pioneer Woman. Though continuing to take part in school stage productions, he did not act professionally again until after high school.