Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban – The Kiwi)
Date of Birth: 7th June 1972
Star Sign: Gemini
Nick Name: None
Born: Wellington, New Zealand
Height: 6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
Best known roles:
- Shortland Street in the 1992 season
- Eomer, King of Rohan in the second and third instalments of “The Lord of the Rings”
- Russian assassin Kirill in 2004′s “The Bourne Supremacy”
- Necromonger Commander Vaako in 2004′s “The Chronicles of Riddick”
An acclaimed television actor in New Zealand, Urban landed his first serious acting role in 1993 in the TV series “Shortland Street.” He played a paramedic. Call it a fateful foreshadowing of a future medical role: “Star Trek’s” Dr. McCoy.
It’s a gamble by Hollywood’s standards. Yet in Urban J.J. Abrams found his youthful incarnation of the curmudgeonly Starfleet doctor who loathes space travel but can’t live without it.
Seen on the internationally syndicated American TV series “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess,” Urban got his big Hollywood break in 2002 in the horror film “Ghost Ship.”
Good reviews scored Urban parts in “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Bourne Supremacy” and “The Chronicles of Riddick.”
Reportedly considered to play James Bond in the 2006 remake of “Casino Royale,” the little-known actor lost out to Daniel Craig.
No worries Karl. After “Star Trek” blasts off, your days of losing to Daniel Craig are over.
Source for this article is CTV
My brother and I were driving home through Herne Bay one evening after work, in which I just happened to have had an A3 colour print of an early concept for Star Trek the Experience in Vegas. My brother driving the car suddenly said “that was doctor McCoy”.
“What?”
“That was doctor McCoy from the new movie”
“B*^&&@^t!
Next thing my brother swung the car around and fair enough walking his dog, with I assume his father was Karl Urban. Having passed them by, my brother swung the car around again and pulled in asking if we should wait for them. This seemed a bit stalkish, so I said “no drive right up to them”.
We pulled up beside them in which I let the window down and said “excuse me”. He responded hello. I then thanked him for his excellent effort of maintaining the character of bones McCoy, in which he said “thank you” in return. I got out of the car at this time. I told him I enjoyed his work and after some discussion I asked whether he would sign the A3 print I just coincidentally had in the car. I am such a trekkie/trekker I print out Star Trek pictures all the time. This day I was just lucky to have one in the car.
Anyway he said he would be happy to sign the picture which he did. I actually apologised to his dad (I assume his dad)for the inconvenience, in which his dad responded “I am used to it”.
Karl disussed the concept in the print and was very pleasant to talk too. He even stated it was a shame the other boys in the movie were not there to sign as well. Karl was very personable and reminded me of the days when fans could talk with the actors, without money being the main focus. Two other actors were similiar Garret Wang (Harry Kim) and John De Lancie (Q) when I met them. Sadly, at the Melbourne convention in 2001 and the Vegas convention in 2008, money appeared to be the sole focus. A basic example being Montgommery Scott playing one song and then stopping halfway through the second song stating “if you want more you need to buy the album”. The basic principle of the fans making their careers, long forgotten. No consideration that the fans had paid $199.00 US to even attend the function. Even when Star Trek the experience finally closed its doors the closing party on Trek Today stated for fans with deep pockets.
Anyway, only in New Zealand could you meet a local actor and they were pleasant and down-to-earth as Karl Urban was. Thank you Karl great effort and a pleasure to meet you.