Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom (born January 13, 1977) is an English actor. He came to fame in the early 2000s, after playing Legolas in The Lord of the Rings films, and subsequently established himself as a lead in Hollywood films, including Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Troy, Elizabethtown, and Kingdom of Heaven. Bloom's most recent releases are the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Haven.
Biography
Bloom was born in Canterbury, Kent. His mother, Sonia Constance Josephine Copeland, was born in Calcutta, India, the daughter of Betty Constance Josephine Walker and Francis John Copeland, a physician and surgeon. Bloom's maternal grandmother's family has lived in Tasmania, Australia and India, and are of English descent, some of them having originally come from Kent. Bloom had thought that his father was South African-born Jewish lawyer Harry Saul Bloom, but during his younger years and after Harry's death, Bloom's mother revealed to him that his biological father was actually Colin Stone, a family friend. Bloom, who is named after the 17th century composer Orlando Gibbons has one sister, Samantha Bloom, who was born in 1975.
Bloom managed to struggle through St Edmund's School in Canterbury despite his dyslexia. In 1993, he moved to London and joined the National Youth Theatre, spending two seasons there and earning a scholarship to train at the British American Drama Academy.
Bloom began acting professionally with a television role in an episode of Casualty, and subsequently made his film debut in Wilde (1997), opposite Stephen Fry, before entering the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he studied acting, sculpture and photography. In 1998, he broke his back in a three storey fall, and it was briefly feared that he would not regain the ability to walk. However, he made a complete recovery and was able to walk out of the hospital on crutches within twelve days. Bloom had steel plates inserted into his backbone to support it, which have since been removed, except for a single screw. He regularly practises yoga and Pilates to strengthen his back.
Personal life
Orlando is a Manchester United fan and lives in London. During filming in Morocco for Kingdom of Heaven, Bloom rescued and adopted a dog, Sidi (a black Saluki mix with a white mark on his chest).
In 2004, he became a full member of Soka Gakkai International, a lay Buddhist association affiliated with the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin.
He has on his right wrist a tattoo of the Elvish word for "nine", a reference to his involvement in the Lord of the Rings and the fact that his character was one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring. The other eight actors of "The Fellowship (Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davies, and Elijah Wood)" got the same tattoo. He covers the tattoo up with armbands or sleeves in other films, however it is possible to catch a glimpse of it during Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He also has a tattoo of a sun-like image to the bottom-left of his navel.
After meeting actress Kate Bosworth outside a coffee shop, he was later re-introduced to her by a friend, and then met her again at the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The two actors dated until splitting up temporarily in 2005. However, on September 05, 2006, sources reported that the couple had separated again.
Orlando Bloom's Photos
Filmography
2007 Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End Will Turner filming; opens May 25
2006 Love and Other Disasters Hollywood Paolo
Haven Shy also co-producer
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Will Turner
2005 The Calcium Kid Jimmy Connelly (2003 film released direct-to-video)
Elizabethtown Drew Baylor
Kingdom of Heaven Balian of Ibelin
2004 Troy Paris
Ned Kelly Joe Byrne limited release
2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Legolas of the Woodland Realm
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Will Turner
2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Legolas of the Woodland Realm First time playing the same character twice.
2001 Black Hawk Down Private 1st Class Todd Blackburn
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Legolas of the Woodland Realm First major role
1998 Wilde Rentboy
