Karl Urban, a renowned actor, hails from Wellington, New Zealand, where he currently resides in Auckland. Born on June 7, 1972, he is the son of a leather-goods manufacturer who had envisioned his son following in his footsteps.
Urban's initial foray into acting occurred when he was just eight years old, landing a line on a television series. However, he did not resume his acting endeavors until after completing high school. In 1992, he was offered a role in the popular New Zealand soap opera, Shortland Street, as he was preparing to attend Victoria University.
Following his appearance on the series for the 1993-1994 season, Urban attended Victoria University for a year before leaving to pursue his acting career. Over the next few years, he secured several theater roles in the Wellington area.
Eventually, Urban relocated to Auckland, where he landed a succession of guest roles in New Zealand television. One of his earliest notable roles was that of a heroin addict in the drama series Shark in the Park (1989).
In addition to his television work, Urban appeared in the film Once in Chunuck Bay (aka Chunuk Bair, 1992). He went on to secure numerous television roles, including a guest-starring appearance in the series White Fang (1993).
Karl Urban's most notable roles include Éomer in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in Star Trek (2009),William Cooper in Red (2010),and Judge Dredd in Dredd (2012).
