The Unexpected Way Karl Urban Landed A Role In The Lord Of The Rings
The fantasy trilogy "The Lord of The Rings" has become a key series of films for fans of the genre. The number of fans of the films, which were directed by filmmaker Peter Jackson and adapted from the works of JRR Tolkien, has only grown over the years, as has the popularity of its cast.
One of the key performers in the film was Karl Urban. Known for his roles in movies such as "Dredd" and "Star Trek," and most recently for his work on the Prime series "The Boys," Urban played Eomer in both "The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers," and "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King."
Eomer is the nephew of Theoden (Bernard Hill), and the leader of a group of riders who attack and kill the Uruk-Hai. He ultimately meets and helps Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), but ends up imprisoned by Theoden upon his return, as Theoden is under the influence of Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif). Gandalf (Ian McKellen), however, frees Theoden, and Eomer in the process. Eomer goes on to fight in the Battle of Helm's Deep, as well as the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, ultimately succeeding Theoden on the throne after the latter perishes in battle.
Urban worked with a friend of Peter Jackson in a 2001 film
In an interview with GQ breaking down his most iconic characters (via YouTube), Karl Urban said that it was his role in the 2001 fantasy romance "The Price of Milk" that landed him the role of Eomer in "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy.
Urban pointed out that Harry Sinclair, the writer and director of the film, was good friends with Peter Jackson, and took a rough cut of "The Price of Milk" to show Jackson while the latter was working on the fantasy trilogy. According to Urban, he "just happened to be in Peter's face when he was looking for someone to cast in the role of Eomer."
"The Price of Milk" revolves around Lucinda and Rob, played by Danielle Cormack and Karl Urban, respectively. The duo is a dairy-farming couple in New Zealand that gets engaged. Soon, Lucinda begins to have doubts about the strength of their relationship, bolstered by Auntie (Rangi Motu). This leads to conflicts between the two, exacerbated by a rash of thefts of quilts in the area.
Sinclair, in addition to filmmaking, also has a career as a performer, with his first feature film role coming in the 1992 film "Dead Alive," which was directed and co-written by Jackson. In addition to Urban, Sinclair also ended up in the trilogy adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's books, playing the role of Isildur, the king who cuts the One Ring from Sauron's hand but fails to cast it into the fires of Mount Doom.