Karl Urban Was Married Once – What We Know About His Dating History and Partners

Karl Urban pursued a career in acting, not for the craft but for the camaraderie he saw growing up on film sets. Love interests are notably absent from his frequent posts of outings with his chosen family, comprised of cast and crew.

New Zealand actor Karl Urban has been romantically linked to three women named Natalie during his career, most notably Natalie Wihongi, his first wife of 10 years. His last public relationship was with "Riddick" co-star Katee Sackhoff.

Billy Butcher's character on Amazon's "The Boys" had to juggle parenthood and be a vigilante. While shooting these scenes, the actor was experiencing the most extended separation from his real-life kids, as the pandemic kept him from visiting them.

Karl Urban Fell in Love with His Make-up Artist, Natalie Wihongi

Wihongi was Urban's make-up artist in the 2000 TV movie "The Privateers." The pair married on September 16, 2004, after four years together. They became parents on November 2000, with their son Hunter Urban, and welcomed Indy Urban on January 2005.

As their young family grew, the actor's profile also got a bump following his role in "Éomer Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and the final film in the trilogy, "The Return of the King."

The family reportedly lived in a $3.1m (N$5.25m) home in Auckland, and the Hollywood star racked up frequent flyer miles to see them. Their separation was announced on June 27, 2014, though they committed to keeping matters amicable for the sake of their family.

The Natalies in Karl Urban's Life

He briefly dated Natalie Dennis, who guest starred as Clysemene in the fourth season of "Xena: Warrior Princess" in 1998. Her internet trail tail dries up after this appearance. The former couple shares two New Zealand TV credits, "Shortland Street" and "Riding High."

Sackhoff is a fan of "Xena: Warrior Princess," per IMDb, but because of her beau's connection with the series.

Details of his romance with multi-Grammy-winning singer and actress Natalie Cole are unknown, and they have no overlapping projects. The daughter of Nat King Cole passed away at age 65 from congestive heart failure on December 31, 2015.

Trekkies Katee Sackhoff and Karl Urban Met Miles above the Earth's Surface

The romantic coupling of Sackhoff and Urban was made in nerd heaven. The actress has an impressive sci-fi résumé with roles in "Battlestar Galactica," "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and more recently "The Mandalorian" alongside Pedro Pascal. She had an action figure of him in her Los Angeles home.

The Trekkies met on a plane en route to Montreal for a sci-fi convention, where they were both booked. The "Longmire" actress confirmed their relationship to Schmoes Know Movies on January 29, 2015, after he met her parents in Portland, Oregon, two months earlier.

The actress reportedly made the eight-and-a-half-thousand-mile trek with her beau to meet his children. The new couple was seen talking long walks on Pakiri Beach, fishing on the Hauraki Gulf, and hanging out with the kids.

Collaboration and Break-Up

Sackhoff is a fan of "Xena: Warrior Princess," per IMDb, but because of her beau's connection with the series. She appreciated Lucy Lawless, as Xena, for being one of the first strong female characters on television.

The couple starred in Vin Diesel's action sci-fi film "Riddick" in 2003. After four years together, the couple broke up. Nicki Swift reports that the split came to light a year later when the actor corrected a blog about them via a tweet in August 2019. He ended the tweet by saying:

"Katee is a phenomenal woman, a compassionate humanitarian, and a brilliant actor. I love and respect her."

Karl Urban's Relationship with His Children

For years Urban flew back and forth between Hollywood for work and New Zealand to be with his family. Covid-19 regulations end the father of two's continental commute during the filming of season three of "The Boys." He spoke to The Guardian about this sacrifice:

"I have missed countless birthdays of my boys, funerals of friends. And season three was the first time in my career that I had seven months away from my family. [...] I've never constructed my career to put myself in a position where I would be absent."

When asked if there have been changes in his relationship with his kids as they grow up, the actor conceded that it has become more complex. He maintained that they are "great kids" and hoped to still spend as "much time as possible with them."

Karl Urban's Work

At eight, Karl Urban uttered his first line on the screen in the series "Pioneer Woman." Screenrant rates his first film role in "Chunuk Bair" in the top 15 movies in his filmography. He told The Guardian that he did not have a secret formula when taking roles:

"I'm definitely a fan of science fiction. But more than that, I'm a fan of storytelling. It just so happens that we live in a world where the entertainment industry has become quite oriented around genre-based product."

The star owes his action-packed career to the romantic comedy, "The Price of Milk." The director and writer of the film, Harry Sinclair, shared a rough cut with his friend Peter Jackson, who was prepping for his "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Indy Urban had a small walk-on role in their dad's 2018 R-rated thriller "Bent," as the son of Dougie, played by Robert Marlowe. "Bent" was shot in Rome, and some Italian street signs can be seen in the background of the Louisiana-set flick.