ORLI...

Born on January 13, 1977 in Canterbury, England.In the beginning he wanted to become a footballer but when they told him he didn't have the skills he thought of becoming an actor. "Once I realized that I could be Superman or I could be The Hustler or I could be Daniel Day Lewis's character in The Last Of The Mohicans - I was like, "Man, I can become an actor and be all of those things." In 1993, he moved to London to improve his career, doing bit parts in TV series like "Casualty". Orlando spent two years at the National Youth Theatre before getting a scholarship to train with the British American Drama Academy. His first memorable appearance, a cameo in the critically acclaimed movie Wilde in 1997, earned him various film offers, which he all turned down in favor to play theatre. After Wilde, Orlando attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for 3 years.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS(1, 2, 3)

Orlando's first major movie role was in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, playing the ethereal elf Legolas Greenleaf, a role he received only days before graduating drama school in London. Two years later, when The Fellowship of the Ring premiered, audiences were in instant awe of the blonde haired, blue eyed elf with killer cheek bones, who was also handy with a bow and arrow. It didn't take long for Orlando to become a full fledged teen heartthrob, hailed by magazines as "The next big thing". In interviews and magazines, fans discovered that off-screen, Orlando was quite different than his movie counterpart. With brown eyes, dark hair, olive skin, and a keen yet quirky fashion sense, he looked right at home on the cover of GQ. Unlike the quiet Legolas, Orlando was full of energy and infectious enthusiasm, charming everyone he worked with, along with the fans. In interviews, he described himself as an adrenaline junky; skydiving, bungee jumping, surfing and snowboarding in his spare time. This live life to it's fullest concept seems to come partly from a brush with death that Orlando had while in drama school. Falling 3 stories from a friend's roof terrace, Orlando faced the possibility of never walking again, but was able to walk out of the hospital 12 days later.

BLACK HAWK DOWN
Released shortly after the The Fellowship of the Ring was the gritty war drama, Black Hawk Down, directed by Ridley Scott. Orlando played Private First Class Todd Blackburn, and showed the enthusiasm, excitement and nervousness of an 18 year old soldier new to the world of war in Somalia. Shadowing a real life experience, his character falls from a helicopter and breaks his back.


NED KELLY
His next role was that of Joe Byrne in Ned Kelly, a historical biopic of the infamous Australian outlaw. Even though the movie had a limited release, the reviews were positive for Orlando's portrayal of Ned Kelly's right hand man.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

Next came the swashbuckling blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which cemented Orlando's place as the action movie "It Boy". Playing the dashing yet straight-laced blacksmith, Will Turner, Orlando won even more hearts by showing off his sword fighting skills alongside his idol, Johnny Depp, while romancing the film's heroine played by Keira Knightley.

TROY
In 2004 came another period action movie, Troy. Although the role of Paris saw Orlando again using a sword and bow, it was a departure from his past roles. Paris was an anti-hero, young and foolish at times, sacrificing all for love.


THE CALCIUM KID

Also released in 2004, although only limited in Europe, was the indie film The Calcium Kid, a mockumentary comedy about a milkman who becomes a boxer. Orlando was able to show off his comedic skills while playing a modern character, with no weapons or costumes.

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
Orlando's first starring role in a major production was in Kingdom of Heaven, released in 2005. Although the film was considered a box office disappointment, the reviews of Orlando's acting were positive. He was able to convey the inner turmoil of a man on a journey of spiritual and self discovery.







ELIZABETHTOWN-PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Orlando's next starring role will be that of Drew Baylor in Elizabethtown. A modern comedic drama written and directed by Cameron Crowe. A sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean titled Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest will be released in Summer 2006.


FAVORITES
Favorite Color: Yellow.
Favorite Foods: Pasta, pizza, oatmeal, rice and vegetables and baked potatoes.
Favorite Vegetable: Spinach.
Favorite Football Team: Manchester United. He also likes Real Madrid because David Beckham now plays for them.
Favorite Sports: Snowboarding and Surfing.
Favorite Actors: Johnny Depp, Edward Norton, Paul Newman, and Daniel Day-Lewis.
Favorite Musician: Jeff Buckley.
Favorite Movie: Stand By Me. He also likes The Hustler and Amelie.
Favorite Type of Girls: "Nice, sweet girls."


20+1 FACTS ABOUT ORLANDO...

• His birth date is January 13, 1977, making him 29 years old.
• His full name is Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom.
• His nicknames are Orli and OB.
• He has brown hair and brown eyes.
• He's around 5'11" (180 cm)
• He's not married.
• He's allergic to peanut butter.
• While filming Lord of the Rings in New Zealand, he got into sky diving, bungee jumping, paragliding, surfing and snowboarding. Now he enjoys "just taking time to walk whether it be on location somewhere or on a beach." "most of the time I just chill with my friends and have a mellow time" He also enjoys photography, shopping and buying old antiques, and he "can't stand computers".
• He says he's accident prone, and has the injury list to prove it. He's broken his back, his ribs, his nose, both his legs, his arm, his wrist, a finger and a toe, and cracked his skull three times!
• A year before doing the Lord of the Rings, he fell 3 stories off a friend's porch while trying to open a jammed door and broke his back. He was almost confined to a wheelchair, but luckily the doctors were able to patch him up.

• His sister Samantha is 2 years older than him.
• He has a dog named Sidi.
• His adoptive father, Harry Bloom, died when Orlando was 4 and was a legendary figure in antiapartheid circles in South Africa. Harry also wrote a famous tome called Episode In The Transvaal, was jailed for his beliefs, and worked alongside Nelson Mandela. Orlando and his sister were raised by their mother, Sonia, and a guardian, Colin Stone. When Orlando was 13, his mother told him that Harry was not his biological father, that Colin was.
• Has a tattoo of 'nine' in Elvish on his right forearm, and a sun on his torso that he got when he was 15.
• He can speak French.
• He has 3 A levels, two at grade A (one was art and sculpture - he is particularly good at sculpture and pottery and art), one at A level for Photography, and one at Grade C which was Religious Studies. He also has 8 'O' levels and has a BA (Hons) Drama degree from Guildhall School of Music and Drama - so he is Orlando Bloom BA (Hons).
• As a kid, he was dyslexic, and now he says he is "mildly dyslexic".
• He says he's currently into "all sorts of music, mostly the Ben Harper, the David Gray, and the Bob Dylan type of folk music."
• For LOTR, he had to learn archery, how to ride a horse bareback (while shooting an arrow), and how to fight and wield two swords. "I started off with archery, I rode about 20 different horses, I had physical training in the gym, and I had to learn the Elvish ways of speaking and fighting. Their fighting is based on ancient European and Asian martial arts, so I had a trainer who taught me how to use the blades. I also did a lot of movement training, because movement is my way into the character." - SFX Magazine
• He originally auditioned for Lord of the Rings in the part of Faramir, Boromir's brother, who wouldn't be introduced until The Two Towers. But Peter thought he would be perfect for Legolas instead. Orlando learned that he got the part the day before he graduated from Guildhall.
• He wears a replica of the One ring that says "To wherever it may lead." It was given to him by one of the make-up artists on LOTR.