We all know and love Karl Urban from roles in films like Star Trek, The Chronicles of Riddick, Lord of the Rings, RED, the criminally underrated TV series Almost Human, and of course, what many of us consider to be the brightest feather in his cap, Dredd.

But he’s been in a few projects you might have missed. Did you know about these five roles?

5. The Truth About Demons (2000)

Harry Ballard’s brother was murdered by a Satanic cult. Now, the anthropologist spends his days obsessively researching cults as a way to come to terms with his brother’s death. He realizes he knows too much when the leader of a powerful demonic sect targets him, wanting no less than his life and his soul. Harry’s reality is turned upside down as he tries to fight of the cultists, in a series of mind-bending scenes.

Sounds pretty unique and interesting, right? Well, one out of two ain’t bad. Unique, yes. But this movie could have been so much better. Urban’s presence is pretty much the only saving grace of this movie, amid the cheesy dialogue, cheap effects, and unthreatening villains. It was a great premise, but its execution falls flat. Skip this one, unless you’re a REALLY big fan.

4. Comanche Moon (2008)

This TV miniseries was a prequel to the classic western, Lonesome Dove. Urban portrays the younger version of Woodrow Call, a quiet, solitary Texas Ranger. He’s a man of few words, and even fewer expressions of emotion. But he does have feelings, especially for Maggie, a prostitute. He looks after her and her young son, protecting and providing for them. Everyone in town knows that her son is his, but he can’t bring himself to acknowledge the boy publicly, for fear of bringing shame to the Rangers’ badge.

With a large ensemble cast and many intersecting storylines, it isn’t the Karl Urban show. But his role is sizable, and in my opinion, far and away the best part of a series that was very well done all the way around. It was nominated for five Emmys, and at the time, was the second highest-rated miniseries of all time, behind only the legendary Roots. I’m not even a fan of westerns in general, but this is one of my few exceptions. I highly recommend it.

3. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

The second installment in the Bourne trilogy finds the expressionless Matt Damon still looking for answers and running from assassins. The most talented and persistent of these is Kirill, a Russian mercenary in it for the payoff. Every time Bourne thinks he’s shaken him, he pops back up. Every time Bourne thinks he’s killed him, he’s still alive. Kirill’s cold demeanor, mechanical precision, and unrelenting nature are almost Terminator-like. The final confrontation between the two is one of the best car chase scenes you will ever see.

While I personally didn’t care for the Bourne series overall (I find Damon’s portrayal to be dry and unsympathetic – Jeremy Renner was much better in my opinion), this one is worth a watch for Urban fans.

2. Short Poppies (2014)

This is a mockumentary series, shot in New Zealand, portraying a journalist on the hunt for the “average” Kiwi. What he discovers is that no one is normal in New Zealand. He encounters a host of hilarious characters, with the funniest being a flamboyant gay hairdresser. Yup, that’s our Karl in the Freddie Mercury mustache, mesh shirt, and impossibly tight pants. He gossips with (and about) his frumpy middle-aged customers, all while dispensing beauty tips and making the ladies feel like princesses.

All eight episodes are genuinely funny, but it’s everyone’s favorite sci-fi / action hero badass, dressed like someone you’d find in a West Hollywood nightclub in 1991, complete with nut-huggers and a lisp, that will have your sides hurting from unrelenting laughter.

1. Ghost Ship (2002)

The crew of a salvage boat encounters an abandoned ship at sea. Hoping to find something of value aboard, they begin towing it, and head over to explore. Big mistake. This vessel is as haunted as they come, and the crew starts dying off, one by one, in horrific ways. Urban’s character, Munder, is a grungy, sarcastic, entertaining, completely unlikable seaman. He provides necessary comic relief with quippy one-liners and insults to his shipmates. When it’s Munder’s turn to die, it’s just as bloody as the others.

This film was a moderate success, and is still fairly popular today. I myself don’t care much for the gory side of scary movies, but I genuinely liked this one. It creates a uniquely haunting atmosphere rarely found in modern horror. Definitely give it a watch if you’ve never seen it.

So, how many of these have you seen? If you haven’t, are you planning to check them out? And what other obscure KU roles should have made our list? Let us know in the comments!