Karl Urban was born on 7 June 1972 in Wellington, New Zealand, to his parents, Jürgen Urban and Lorraine Urban.
Key Takeaways
- Karl Urban is the son of German immigrants Jürgen and Lorraine Urban; his ethnicity is German and English.
- He is the father of two kids, Hunter and Indiana, from his former marriage with makeup artist Natalie Wihongi.
- The actor values family and his children the most.
Karl Urban’s father (now retired), Jürgen Urban, owned a leather goods retail store for many years in Wellington, and his mother, Lorraine Urban, used to work at Film Facilities in Wellington.
They are from Germany and immigrated to New Zealand.
His paternal grandfather was Johannes Karl Gustav Urban, who was born in Spremberg, Massen-Niederlausitz, Brandenburg, Germany.
Meanwhile, his paternal grandmother Irma Liedke was born in Karthaus, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States.
Hence, he has a mixed ethnicity, comprised of German and English.
The New Zealand native Urban’s parents expected him to follow in his father’s footsteps and work in leather goods manufacturing.
However, the actor had another plan. His first television appearance was at eight, and he returned to the stage in high school.
His mother seems to have influenced his interest in acting.
Why? One of his mother’s friends was comedian Ginette McDonald, and he used to accompany her to live TV tapings of her comedy show, Lynn of Tawa.
This led to Ginette McDonald casting him in his first role in 1981, at the age of 9, in the TV series Ettie Route Pioneer Woman.
Now, the successful actor juggles multiple roles and leaves his mark on one hit series after another.
Family Ties Of The Actor
For him, his family matters the most. He has two children from his former marriage: Hunter, 23, and Indiana, 18.
When I’m in New Zealand, I know that, in six weeks or two months, I’m on a plane and I’m away for potentially six months. The most important thing for me when I get home is to connect with the people that are important to me.
Karl Urban
He was married to his ex-wife, Natalie Wihongi, who was his makeup artist for the 2000 television film “The Privateers” for 10 years, from 2004 to 2014.
Talking about his children, he said,
My kids are great; they really are. But it’s just more complex. When they’re children, the issues are a lot more simple. As they find their way into adulthood and have to find their own way in life, that’s a huge challenge. Everybody, ultimately, has to make that journey for themselves and stand on their own two feet. At some point, the umbilical cord gets cut. I hope that I just have as much time as possible with them.
Karl Urban
After his marriage ended, “The Boys” actor started dating Katee Sackhoff, but they broke up in 2018.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Karl Urban loves playing video games.
- He has been an official Ambassador of UNICEF Aotearoa, New Zealand, since May 2022.
- From 1986–1990, he attended Wellington College and then joined Victoria University of Wellington, but he left after one year.
