Karl Urban is a New Zealand actor whose career spans several major science-fiction and fantasy franchises. He played Éomer, nephew of King Théoden and eventual King of Rohan, in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, contributing to the trilogy’s depiction of Rohan’s heroism during its most pivotal battles. Urban went on to play Leonard “Bones” McCoy in J.J. Abrams’ rebooted Star Trek film series, bringing fresh energy to one of the franchise’s most beloved supporting characters, and starred as the title character in the acclaimed 2012 film Dredd, based on the British comic book character Judge Dredd.
He achieved further major success playing Billy Butcher, the ruthless leader of a vigilante group hunting corrupt superheroes, in Amazon’s The Boys, a role that has become one of his most significant and widely praised performances. Urban’s remarkable versatility across Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and The Boys has made him one of the most consistently in-demand actors working across major genre franchises today, and a hugely popular guest among collectors spanning all three fandoms.