Urban legend
As he prepares to return to one beloved movie universe and take on another, Kiwi actor Karl Urban talks to James Croot about living life at warp speed.
‘It offers a scenario where humanity has moved beyond the barbaric time in which we currently live, is united and is out there and exploring space. There’s a sense of a quest for knowledge and discovery and I think that’s very appealing to people.’
Karl Urban makes no bones about his disappointment at what transpired in the last cinematic voyage of the Starship Enterprise.
The Wellington-born actor, who turns 44 this week, says he shares many fans’ view that 2013’s Star Trek: Into Darkness saw his character Dr Leonard ‘‘Bones’’ McCoy marginalised from the action.
‘‘There definitely was a bit of a backlash from the audience and, quite frankly, I agreed with them,’’ the Kiwi star says on the phone from Los Angeles, as he prepares for a promotional whirlwind over the next month in the lead up to the July 21 release of Star Trek: Beyond.
Judging from the most recent trailer of the film, which sees the Enterprise seemingly destroyed and many of her crew stranded on a hostile planet, he and the character’s supporters should be happy with what looks a far more beefed-up role.
‘‘It’s true,’’ he says, ‘‘I just completed work on the film the other day and was really pleased with what I saw. I saw there was a lot of my input in the character. I think the producers and writers have listened to audience and thankfully the Bones that you see in Star Trek: Beyond is the most fully realised, rounded and dimensional version of the character that we have had in these last three films.’’
Describing returning to the playing Star Trek’s taciturn, bluejumpered medic as ‘‘like putting on your favourite sweater’’, Urban says the great thing about this film is that ‘‘you get to see him in so many different roles and functions’’.
‘‘He’s always been a very dynamic, expressive character – loyal to his friends and family – which is what his crew are. But, in this film, you’ll get to see a sensitive side to him. You get to see him as a good friend and consigliere to Kirk and get to see him, through a large portion of the film, in a dangerous situation with Spock. And that is very fertile ground for lots of comedy and great character development. I’m super excited for audiences to see this movie.’’
Among the first will be those attending a special outdoor IMAX event as part of San Diego ComicCon on July 21 (NZ time). While Urban admits he hasn’t given it much thought so far, he expects it ‘‘will be pretty epic’’ and ‘‘really be something special to cherish and remember’’.
2016 is a big year for Star Trek fans as the franchise celebrates 50 years since the first TV show iteration first aired (the inaugural episode The Man Trap debuted on September 8, 1966). Does that place any extra pressure on Urban and his cast-mates to make sure they deliver this time around?
‘‘It wasn’t something that was at the forefront of my mind while making this picture. However, I certainly think it was in Simon’s [Pegg, who co-wrote the screenplay and also stars as Enterprise’s chief engineer Montgomery ‘Scotty’ Scott]. I place enough pressure on myself to do a good job without needing to add anymore to it. That being said – the pressure and the challenge was there to deliver a better film than the first two – deliver something new to the audience, while also paying respect to what has come before.’’
While glad he didn’t have to stoop to trying to bribe his co-star to get extra lines, Urban says he was appreciative of the very fluid, collaborative atmosphere that Pegg and co-writer Doug Jung (TV’s Banshee) fostered on set. ‘‘We could all go to Simon and Doug and make suggestions about our characters and how to maximise the potential of any given beat and they were very open and receptive to it. I think that made the rest of us all feel a lot more invested and included in the process and it will be a better film as a result.’’
Urban is also full of praise for Beyond’s director Justin Lin (Fast and Furious). ‘‘Justin has all the same dynamic energy and storytelling capability that J J [Abrams’ who directed the last two Star Trek movies] does, but also, one of Justin’s strengths is that he is a long-term fan of Star Trek and he really understands the archetypes and subtle innerworking of those relationships. As a result, he’s been able to build on what J J has done and delivered a much richer, more rewarding experience, where you really feel like there’s a bond between this crew that is well-earned through experience.’’
There’s also obviously a unique bond between the franchise and its fans – it wouldn’t have managed five live-action TV series and now 13 feature films otherwise. So what does Urban believe is the enduring appeal of Star Trek?
‘‘I think there are many keys to its success. Firstly, there’s the cult of personality. People really love and respond to these characters – this dysfunctional family. Then there was the tone of the original show. It was sexy, it was fun and didn’t take itself too seriously – although it was thought-provoking and was used by the producers to explore contemporary moral issues within society.
‘‘However, I think, most importantly, it presents a vision of the future that is full of hope and optimism. It offers a scenario where humanity has moved beyond the barbaric time in which we currently live, is united and is out there and exploring space. There’s a sense of a quest for knowledge and discovery and I think that’s very appealing to people.’’
Working on this particular movie has also proved to be beneficial for a group close to Urban’s heart – Kiwi charity KidsCan. It was one of a select few chosen by the production to receive the proceeds from some fundraising opportunities around filming – in this case an auction for a set visit. ‘‘KidsCan looks after thousands of children in New Zealand living in poverty who
Karl Urban
can’t afford the basics, so it was really nice to have the opportunity to pay one back to them,’’ Urban says.
He adds that he’s looking forward to working a bit closer to home shortly and with one of the ‘‘most brilliant directors to come out of New Zealand in a long time’’.
It was announced last month that Urban will be joining the cast of the Taika Waititi-helmed Marvel sequel Thor: Ragnarok, which begins shooting on Australia’s Gold Coast later this month. He will play the Asgardian villain Skurge, as part of a star-studded cast that also includes Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum, as well as returning actors Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins and Idris Elba. Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk is also expected to be a key part of the plot.
Urban says he was attracted to the project, not only by the opportunity to team up with Waititi, but also because of the strength of the script.
‘‘It’s a fantastic story and a really great character who has got a wonderful arc. I’m super excited to play it and be a part of the Marvel family.’’
And while he admits his upcoming schedule is ‘‘pretty chokka’’, Urban hopes being on the Gold Coast might allow him the opportunity to return home for the Kiwi premiere of the New Zealand-shot Pete’s Dragon ,a remake of the 1977 Disney movie, which is scheduled to open here on September 15. A late replacement for Michael C Hall, he plays Gavin, one of two millowning brothers, who are believed to be the villains of the movie. When asked if he consulted Star
Trek co-star Simon Pegg (who also appears in the Mission: Impossible series of films) about how to juggle two major franchises before signing on for Ragnarok, Urban, who was part of the original Lord
of the Rings trilogy, as well as TV series like Hercules; The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, jokingly growls: ‘‘I was juggling franchises before he was born.’’
One thing he’s unlikely to be doing any time soon though is making another TV series.
Despite saying that he enjoyed the experience of making the short-lived sci-fi series Almost
Human in 2013, it simply wasn’t the working conditions ‘‘that I like to operate in’’.
‘‘I appreciate good television. There are many shows out there that I like to watch, although I’m careful about which ones I pick, because you end up being chained to them and they devour all your time. Look, my slate is currently filled with promoting films and shooting Thor. If the right project came around, I could be interested in a loose engagement, but nothing that was going to occupy too much of my time.’’
That’s something he is particularly adamant about, making sure his life is balanced out between his career and spending time with his family (especially his sons Hunter and Indy).
‘‘So far I’ve been managing to do that and maintain my base in New Zealand, which is important to me. I live in New Zealand, I’m just overseas a lot. For me, it’s home and you just can’t beat it. You may live in other countries for a limited amount of time, but you only have one home.’’