Karl Urban Reflects On How The Star Of His Classic 6-Part Fantasy Series Inspired His Time On The Boys

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Karl Urban has collaborated with many talented actors over his career, and one of them has especially influenced him.

Created by Sam Raimi and R.J. Stewart, Xena: Warrior Princess began as a spin-off of their earlier series, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and followed the exciting adventures of Lucy Lawless as the warrior Xena. The show ran for six seasons, achieving high ratings and critical acclaim, including several Emmy nominations. It has since become a beloved cult classic, with fans continuing to celebrate it at expos and conventions.

While promoting his new Prime Video film, The Bluff, Karl Urban reminisced about his early career with Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules in an interview with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan. After Priyanka Chopra Jonas shared her love for the fantasy series, Urban spoke highly of Lucy Lawless, calling her “such an inspiration” and saying he’s “thought about her so often” throughout his career. Both shows were major stepping stones for him.

Urban also praised Lawless for her impact while he was a lead on Prime Video’s The Boys. He described her time as captain on Xena as consistently and kindly keeping the production running smoothly. He then aimed to bring that same level of poise and professionalism to his work on the superhero satire.

Before gaining international recognition, Urban acted in several New Zealand shows, including the popular medical drama Shortland Street. He first entered the world of Xena and Hercules in season one of Xena, playing the villainous Mael. Later that year, he appeared in season three of Hercules as the god Cupid – a role he would reprise in Xena, alongside his portrayals of Julius Caesar and the cannibalistic Kor.

Throughout the years since Xena ended, Lucy Lawless has consistently shown her commitment to the show and its fans. Despite once disliking the physical demands of filming action scenes, she often speaks about how Xena boosted her career, positively impacted the LGBTQ+ community through Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship, and how she’d love to return for a reboot to pass the role on to a new actress.

Given the scale of Xena when it originally aired, it’s not surprising that Karl Urban still draws inspiration from Lucy Lawless as he approaches his role in The Boys, where he’s starred for five seasons. While The Boys features a large cast, Urban and Antony Starr have become the central figures, which means they both feel a strong responsibility to maintain a professional and well-organized set for the expensive series.

I remember when Karl Urban really started gaining recognition – it was amazing to watch his career take off! Before he blew us all away as Billy Butcher in The Boys, his work on shows like Xena and Hercules definitely helped him build a global fanbase. Then he was in The Lord of the Rings films, and after that, he just kept landing incredible roles! From the Riddick movies to a fantastic new version of Dr. McCoy in the Star Trek films, and even the gritty Dredd, he proved he could do it all. It’s been awesome seeing him become such a huge star.

He still fondly remembers his work on Xena: Warrior Princess and credits Lucy Lawless as a significant influence on his career. This makes it intriguing to consider whether he’d join the planned reboot. While Robert Tapert revealed in August 2025 that a reimagining was still in development – without Lawless as the lead – Urban’s history of playing multiple characters on the original series opens the possibility for both him and Lawless to return in new roles that honor their previous work.

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2026-02-25 20:08