Orlando Bloom

Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Copeland Bloom, born on 13 January 1977, is a distinguished English actor. His breakthrough came with the iconic character Legolas in The Lord of the Rings film series , a role he reprised in The Hobbit film series.


Often hailed as the Errol Flynn of his generation, Bloom garnered attention for his roles in epic fantasy, historical, and adventure films. Notable among these are his portrayal of Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series , Paris in Troy , Balian de Ibelin in Kingdom of Heaven , and the Duke of Buckingham in The Three Musketeers .


Bloom's presence extended to Hollywood productions, including the war film Black Hawk Down , the Australian Western Ned Kelly , the romantic comedy Elizabethtown , and New York, I Love You .


In 2020, he received acclaim for his role in the Afghanistan War drama film The Outpost. Additionally, he took the lead in the Amazon Prime Video series Carnival Row.


Venturing into the realm of stage performance, Bloom made his professional debut in In Celebration at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End in 2007. He further showcased his theatrical prowess by starring in a Broadway adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in 2013.


Returning to the stage, Bloom graced a West End revival of Tracy Letts' Killer Joe in 2018. Beyond his acting career, Bloom was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2009, and in 2015, he was honored with the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award.


Orlando Bloom entered the world on 13 January 1977 in Canterbury, Kent, bearing the name of the 16th-century English composer Orlando Gibbons. Born into a family with an older sister named Samantha Bloom, his lineage carries connections to diverse backgrounds.


Initially, Bloom believed that his biological father was his mother's husband, the South African-born anti-apartheid novelist Harry Bloom (1913–1981), who passed away when Orlando was only four years old.


However, at the age of thirteen, Bloom's mother unveiled the truth, disclosing that his actual biological father was Colin Stone, a family friend and his mother's partner. Colin Stone, principal of the Concorde International language school, stepped in as Orlando Bloom's legal guardian following Harry Bloom's demise.


Bloom's mother, Sonia Constance Josephine , was born in Kolkata, India, to British parents Francis John Copeland and Betty Constance Josephine from Kent. This familial connection makes Bloom a cousin of photographer Sebastian Copeland. Sonia's family traversed Tasmania (Australia), Japan, and India during her upbringing.


Rooted in the Church of England, Orlando Bloom attended St Peter's Methodist Primary School and later the junior school of The King's School before moving on to St Edmund's School in Canterbury. Diagnosed with dyslexia, Bloom's mother encouraged him to explore art and drama classes. His artistic journey took off when, inspired by his school prize submission to panto actor Richard Sieben in 1992, he relocated to London in 1993.


There, he pursued a two-year A-Level course in Drama, Photography, and Sculpture at Fine Arts College, Hampstead. Subsequently, he joined the National Youth Theatre, securing a scholarship to undergo training at the British American Drama Academy.


Orlando Bloom embarked on his professional acting career with television roles in episodes of Casualty and Midsomer Murders. His film debut came in Wilde , opposite Stephen Fry. Bloom continued his acting education at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, solidifying his foundation in the art of acting.


Orlando Bloom marked his first screen appearance in the 1997 film Wilde with a modest role as a rent boy. A mere two days after graduating from Guildhall in 1999, he landed his inaugural major role as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Initially auditioning for the role of Faramir, who doesn't make an appearance until the second movie, director Peter Jackson decided to cast him as Legolas instead. During the filming process, Bloom faced a challenge when he broke a rib after falling off a horse. Despite this setback, he recuperated and resumed shooting.


Concurrently, Bloom took on a brief role in Ridley Scott's war film Black Hawk Down as PFC Todd Blackburn. In 2002, he was recognized as one of Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25," despite having recently turned 25. Additionally, he earned the title of People's hottest Hollywood bachelor in the magazine's 2004 list.


The ensemble cast of The Lord of the Rings films, including Bloom, received consecutive nominations for Best Ensemble Acting at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Their efforts culminated in a victory in 2003 for the third film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.


Bloom's accolades extend to European Film Awards, Hollywood Festival Award, Empire Awards, and Teen Choice Awards, with numerous other nominations. Notably, the majority of Bloom's box office successes have been attributed to his contributions as part of an ensemble cast.


After his success in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Orlando Bloom took on a prominent role alongside Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp in the blockbuster hit Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in the summer of 2003.


Following the triumph of Pirates, he portrayed Paris, the catalyst for the Trojan War, in the 2004 blockbuster Troy, sharing the screen with Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, and Peter O'Toole. Subsequently, Bloom secured lead roles in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven and Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown, both released in 2005. In 2006, he reprised his role in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and took on the independent film Haven, also serving as an executive producer.


During the same year, Bloom made a guest appearance in the sitcom Extras, where he humorously portrayed an exaggeratedly arrogant, narcissistic version of himself. He humorously expressed disdain for Johnny Depp, his co-star in Pirates of the Caribbean, contributing to the gag that Depp was more talented and ranked higher on the 'top hottest' charts. In 2006, Bloom became the most searched male on Google News. By May 2007, he had featured in four of the top 15 highest-grossing films of all time.


Continuing his role as Will Turner, Bloom appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, released on 24 May 2007. Despite initially intending to pursue stage acting after graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Bloom expressed his desire to take a break from films and explore stage roles.


During the summer of 2007, he participated in a London revival of In Celebration, a play by David Storey, portraying one of three brothers returning home for their parents' 40th wedding anniversary. In August 2007, Bloom made his first-ever TV commercial appearance on late-night Japanese TV, endorsing the Uno brand of cosmetics by Shiseido.


In 2008, Bloom initially signed on for a small role in the British film An Education but later dropped out to take the lead in Johnnie To's film Red Circle. In 2009, he was part of the ensemble cast in New York, I Love You, a film consisting of 12 short stories.

References

1.  Bloom in Orlando Bloom on Katy Perry, never saying 'no' and being open. The Sunday Times (YouTube). England. Event occurs at 00:06. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
2. ^ "UPI Almanac for Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021". United Press International. 13 January 2021. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021. …actor Orlando Bloom in 1977 (age 44)…
3. ^ Adolph, Anthony (20 February 2012). "The Curious Ancestry of Orlando Bloom". Family History Monthly. p. 26. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012.
4. ^ McNamara, Mary (30 March 2007). "Orlando Bloom, 21st century swashbuckler". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 February 2023.