Karl Urban is an actor from New Zealand who became interested in acting because of his mother, who used to work for Film Facilities in his hometown of Wellington. His first professional role came when he was eight, but it was not until his teenager years when he returned to professional acting. In particular, it is interesting to note that Urban has appeared in a remarkable number of fantasy and sci-fi media, which have had a lasting impact on the overall course of his career.
Here are five things that you may or may not have known about Karl Urban:
He Played Julius Caesar on Xena
Urban is still remembered for playing Gaius Julius Caesar on both Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. From a historical viewpoint, this is complete nonsense. Even assuming that Hercules was a historical figure, he would’ve been one generation before those who fought in the Trojan War, who in turn, were multiple generations before the founder of Rome Romulus, who in turn, was would’ve lived six centuries before the most famous Roman of them all. With that said, Caesar being Xena’s ex-lover is hilariously appropriate, seeing as how the historical figure was infamous for having had numerous affairs with both Roman and non-Roman women as well as being the subject of rumors of a homosexual affair with a Bithynian king.
He Also Played Cupid on Xena
On a related note, Urban also played Cupid on Xena: Warrior Princess. Once again, this is hilariously appropriate because Caesar claimed to have been related to Cupid. To be exact, the Julii Caesares claimed descent from Aeneas, who was the son of Venus with a mortal man, while Cupid was the son of Venus either on her own or with a god. As a result, it can be said that Caesar would’ve been a many-times-great grand nephew of Cupid.
Starred in Doom
At one point, there was a Doom movie, which was based on the video game of the same name that some people consider to have kicked off the FPS genre of video games. Urban was the one chosen to co-star in the movie with Dwayne Johnson. Unfortunately, Doom was a complete failure at the box office, seeing as how it didn’t even manage to make back its production budget.
Sought Out a Role in Star Trek
Urban has been a fan of the Star Trek franchise since his childhood. As a result, he sought out a role in the eleventh Star Trek movie, with the result that he has been playing Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy in not one but two Star Trek movies so far. It is interesting to note that Urban’s acting has met with a positive response from the Star Trek fandom because of its faithfulness to the spirit of the original character.
Set to Play Skurge the Executioner
At the moment, Urban is involved in a number of upcoming projects. However, it is interesting to note that he will be playing Skurge the Executioner in Thor: Ragnarok. In brief, the character was an opponent to Thor and other superheroes because of his infatuation with the Enchantress, but he is best-known for his team-up on a mission to Hel, where he sacrificed himself in holding a bridge so that his teammates could escape. To prepare for the role, Urban is training so that he can get into the right mood. Furthermore, he has shaved his head in order to achieve Skurge’s distinctive look.
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