Karl Urban meets Star Trek's Spock

JOHN SELKIRK/The Dominion Post

STAR TURN: Wellington actor Karl Urban, who plays Dr McCoy in the new Star Trek film, says he got shivers up his spine when he saw Leonard Nimoy put Spock's pointed ears on again.

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Kiwi actor Karl Urban, who plays Dr McCoy in the new Star Trek movie, says one of the highlights during filming was meeting Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock in the original series.

"I was privileged enough to be on set the day he first put those ears back on, which I think was the first time in over 15 years," Urban said in the latest issue of Star Trek magazine.

"As a Trekker myself I got chills up my spine hearing him deliver those Spock lines in that Spock cadence. It was a really thrilling and exciting moment to be witness to."

Urban, 36, best known as Eomer in The Lord of the Rings, plays a younger version of Dr McCoy in Star Trek XI, which is directed by Lost creator JJ Abrams.

All the other lead roles in the original series, including James Kirk and Scotty, are being played by new actors.

Nimoy has a small role in the film, but otherwise Spock is played by Heroes actor Zach Quinto.

Urban said he could not believe he had got the part.

"I felt like I'd won the lottery. I remember people calling me, congratulating me, so it was quite overwhelming.

"But I think my seven-year-old son was the first person that I really got an opportunity to tell and he was as excited about it as I was."

Urban said he had spent a year and a half watching boxed sets of Star Trek episodes with his son.

"I will not deny I'm a massive fan of science fiction, fantasy. I grew up watching Star Trek and Star Wars and all sorts of stuff. So a lot of my heroes when I was a boy just happened to be firmly entrenched within the sci-fi genre."

Urban is confident the movie will be the first of at least three Star Trek films for the cast.

"I really believe that this movie is going to not only satiate the long-term Trekkers, but also introduce the Star Trek phenomenon to a whole new demographic of people who perhaps weren't around or privy to the various incarnations in the past."

Star Trek XI is in post-production and will be released in May next year.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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PERKENO   #5   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

I love karl urban, and I'm glad karl urban makes star trek, he will be a great doc bones, greetins from spain and all the fans of karl in spain.

Amy   #4   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

he was more famous on Xena, than lord of the rings, like duh!

Antipodes   #3   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Well, it's old news. Stuff.co.nz should update better its news about Kiwi celebrities.

Certainly I'll only watch this movie (trilogy?) because of Mr. Karl Urban; I am not interested in other aspects of Star Trek. Nevertheless, I'm glad he enjoyed making this movie.

doc   #2   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

hey this is doc from the itunes podcast: Heroes of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and i think Karl Urban will make a fine Dr. McCoy. Urban showed he could play a serious role in Lord of the Rings. I think he will be able to bring the bitter seriousness(when needed)as DeForest Kelley did when he played Dr. McCoy. Furthermore, I think that DeForest Kelley himself would of been happy with the selection of Urban. website www.heroesofsciencefictionandfantasy.com voicemail 1-206-333-1297

Karen   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

well done!!!!!!!! love Star Trek