Known for the very different roles of Cupid and Julius Caesar on the hit syndicated programs, Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Karl Urban has made quite an impression on the fans of the shows.

For the role of Cupid, Karl undergoes a makeup transformation that takes from one to two hours to complete. For the role of Caesar, the transformation is much more internal. In addition to these two roles, he has also appeared as Mael in the Xena episode, "Altared States."

A native of Wellington, New Zealand, Karl felt the pull of acting at an early age. His first role was at the tender age of 8, where he spoke his first line on a television show. Rather than pursue a career, Karl finished his high school education without acting again.

As he was preparing to attend Victoria University, he was offered a role in the New Zealand drama, Shortland Street. After filming the drama, he attended the university for one year, then left to pursue his acting career. He landed a number of roles in the theater in Wellington. He moved to Auckland, where a number of guest roles in New Zealand television followed. One of his first roles was that of a heroin addict in the drama Shock in the Park. He was in a movie as well, entitled Once in Chunuck Bay. Other television roles followed including a guest starring role in the series White Fang.

Most of his life, Karl has been very active. He worked on his aunt and uncle's farm for many years, doing odd jobs from shearing sheep to pig wrestling. Karl is quite proficient in horseback riding, a skill that served him well when he filmed a show called Riding High, a children's show about horses. In addition, Karl also enjoys surfing and indoor rock climbing.

Currently, Karl, who is single and has no children, lives in Auckland. In addition to his appearances on Herc and Xena, Karl has recently filmed a movie in New Zealand called Heaven. Karl played the role of a strip club doorman/bouncer called The Sweeper. This film will be released by Miramax later this year or early next year.