New Zealand has spawned quite a few internationally acclaimed actors and filmmakers: Taika Waititi, Lucy Lawless, Anna Paquin, Russell Crowe, KJ Apa, Michael Hurst, and Peter Jackson come to mind. Wellington-bornKarl Urban, who was considered somewhat underrated before his portrayal of Doctor Leonard McCoy in theStar Trekreboot filmsand Skurge in Marvel Studios’Thor: Ragnarok, has been making headlines for his acclaimed performance as Billy Butcher in Amazon’s satirical superhero television seriesThe Boys.
Born in 1972, Urban has been active since 1990, but his first Hollywood role was in the supernatural horror filmGhost Ship. He also played Éomer inThe Lord of the Ringsfranchise, John “Reaper” Grimm in the science-fiction flickDoom, the Russian agent Kirill inThe Bourne Supremacy, CIA agent William Cooper in the action comedyRed, Vincent Stevens in the erotic thrillerThe Loft, and Commander Vaako inThe Chronicles of Riddick.
That is to say, Urban is quite aprolific character actorwho has been slowly getting the recognition he deserves. Blockbuster movie roles aside, here is a roundup of all of his TV appearances, fromShark in the Park, toXena: Warrior Princess, toThe Boys, ranked by title popularity on IMDB.
15Jamie Forrest – Shortland Street
Created by Jason Daniel, the ongoing medical soap opera dramaShortland Streetfirst aired on TVNZ 2 on 20 July 2025 and is still one of the most watched shows in New Zealand. Urban landed a recurring role in 1993 and 1994 as the paramedicJamie Forrest, the first openly gay character on the series, who is often ostracized because of his orientation. He would later be in a relationship with the character Jonathon McKenna (Kieren Hutchison), much to the disapproval of the latter’s father Michael (Paul Gittins). This on-screen romance was heavily controversial at the time, especially after Jamie became an advocate for HIV and gay rights.
Related:The 10 Most Historically Significant LGBTQ+ TV Shows of All Time
14David – White Fang 1993
Loosely based on the Jack London novel of the same name and developed by Guy R. Mazzeo, the adventure seriesWhite Fangcenters on the boy Matt Scott who adopts an Alaskan Malamute; it ran for 25 episodes in 1993 and 1994 and starred Jaimz Woolvett as Matt, Ken Blackburn as Hank Blair, and Veronika Logan as Maggie. Urban playedDavid Pierce, a hardware store burglar who is caught red-handed by Matt and tearfully tries to pin it on his own brother.
13Cupid – Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess
The cult fantasy and adventure seriesHercules: The Legendary Journeysand its spin-offXena: Warrior Princess, produced by Robert Tapert and Sam Raimi and filmed entirely on location in New Zealand in the second half of the ’90s, boast a plethora of quirky and highlyentertaining secondary characters, and Urban’sCupid, the Olympian god of desire and erotic love, is one for the books. He is the mischievous son of the mighty goddess of love Aphrodite, and he often goes against her wishes by pointing his arrows, which cause mortals to fall in love with the next person they see, at people other than the ones selected by her, resulting in chaos and funny situations.
PerFandom, “Urban was the first actor to have to wear prosthetic wings for a role in the Xenaverse. He was also the only one required to do so shirtless, and thus had to endure prosthetics to keep them adhered to his back.”
12Julius Caesar – Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess
The aforementioned shows were known for constantly recasting secondary characters in various roles, and Urban’s most memorable portrayal back then was definitely that of the cunning, ambitious, charismatic, double-crossing, and ruthlessGaius Julius Caesar, the famous Roman leader and Xena’s past love interest turned enemy.
Caesar:Each event in our life is part of a great plan. There are no accidents. Only destiny.
Xena:And who shapes this destiny? The gods?
Caesar:Perhaps. Or it’s the blood in our veins, our souls, our desires, our will. They’re all in it, together, weaving a tapestry we call ‘destiny’.
11Mael - Xena: Warrior Princess
The actor also playsMaelonXena, a jealous, resentful, and psychopathic young man loosely based on the biblical Ishmael. The character slips his father a hallucinogen and tricks him into thinking his god wants him to sacrifice his youngest son, Ikus, as punishment for their sins and a test of faith. Xena thwarts his plan, but in the end, Mael has no choice but to kill himself.
Mael:I don’t bargain with savages.
Xena:And what are you? Drugging your father? Trying to kill your own brother?
10Kor - Xena: Warrior Princess and Amazon High
Directed by Michael Hurst, who plays Hercules’ sidekick Iolaus onXenaandHercules,Amazon Highis a 1997 television movie starring Selma Blair, Danielle Cormack, and Claudia Black. It centers on a high-school girl who finds herself transported in a time of ancient Greek gods and Amazon warriors. Parts of this film, which was intended as a pilot for aHerculesprequel, were used in theXenaepisodeLifeblood, and this is why Urban appears asKoron both. The latter is an intriguing character in a nomadic tribe of cannibals who plays a part in the rise of the Amazons.
9Woodrow F. Call - Comanche Moon
Set in 19th-century Texas and based on the1997 novel of the same namefrom theLonesome Dovebooks, the 2008 CBS Western drama miniseriesComanche Moonis directed by Simon Wincer. Itstars Val Kilmeras Inish Scull, Steve Zahn as Augustus McCrae, Linda Cardellini as Clara Forsythe Allen, Elizabeth Banks as Maggie Tilton, Melanie Lynskey as Pearl Coleman, and Ryan Merriman as Jake Spoon. Urban’s character,Woodrow F. Call, is a dedicated Texas Ranger who suddenly becomes a father out of wedlock and decides not to marry the mother, Maggie (Banks).
8James Westwood – Riding High
Based on the comics of the GermanWendymagazine, the equestrian teen romance dramaRiding Highwas filmed in New Zealand and aired in 1995 and 1996 on TV2 for 65 episodes. Focusing on horses, young love, friendship, and family, it was also dubbed in German and Italian and broadcast in Europe.
Urban portrays the charismatic young rebel James Westwood, who wears leather and rides a motorcycle, and ends up stealing the hearts of both the lead character, 15-year-old horse owner Wendy (Marama Jackson), and her shallow cousin Vanessa (Rebecca Jane Clark, now Tyler Jane), who is only interested in fashion and makeup.
7Tim Johnstone – Homeward Bound
Created and co-directed by Ross Jennings and starring Michael Daly, Liddy Holloway, Mark Raffety, and Francis Bell, the soap operaHomeward Boundwas broadcast on New Zealand’s TV3 from June to October 1992 and ran for 21 episodes. It follows the Johnstone family, who lives in a rural house in the fictional town of Riverside, and Urban portrays the young son,Tim Johnstone. The family’s somewhat peaceful life is disturbed by the return of the black sheep, Uncle Gordon (David Aston).
According toStuff,Homeward Boundhad so much potential that it “could have erasedShortland Street,” butcalls it “a time capsule of what townies thought rural life was like in the early ’90s (a place where yellow pants were acceptable on a teen like Urban’s Tim), and just how TV3 scrimped and saved to create local content in those days.”
6Captain Aran Dravyk – The Privateers
Directed by David E. Duncan,The Privateersis a spin-off from the video gameWing Commanderby Origin Systems, Inc. and follows the adventures ofCaptain Aran Dravyk(portrayed by Urban) and his crew of government-commissioned space pirates.IMDBreviewers find it “shows promise” but criticize it for its “mid-grade CGI” and for lacking “sound effects.” The lead actor, however, is unanimously praised for his “great” and “intense” performance.
