(1977-)

Who Is Orlando Bloom?

Orlando Bloom studied acting as a child before he was cast as the heroic Legolas in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Bloom also found major success starring in three films of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise with Johnny Depp. He's landed other roles in big-screen fare, including Troy, Elizabethtown and The Three Musketeers.

Early Life

Bloom was born on January 13, 1977, to Sonia and Harry Bloom, in Canterbury, England, where he grew up with his sister Samantha. The elder Bloom, who worked to depose South Africa's apartheid system, died when Orlando was four years old, and the future actor wouldn't find out until his teens that his biological father was actually a family colleague, Colin Stone.

Sonia Bloom encouraged her children to incorporate the arts into their lives, and subsequently, Orlando took part in regional theater in his youth. He moved to London and joined the National Youth Theatre at the age of 16, and then attended the British American Drama Academy. His training led to parts on British television and his film debut in the 1997 Oscar Wilde biopic, Wilde. Bloom continued his training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, during which time he regularly performed in stage productions.

While attending Guildhall, Bloom had an almost-crippling accident when he fell three stories from a terrace, trying to cross between two buildings with friends, and broke his back. Though doctors feared that he wouldn't walk again, Bloom, 21, was able to gradually recover after intensive surgery and therapy. Today, the actor remains mindful of his back and core.

Movies

'The Lord of the Rings'

Days before his graduation, Bloom was cast in Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. The first film of the trilogy, 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring, was a huge blockbuster and critical success. Bloom went on to perform in the two Ring follow-ups; he plays Legolas Greenleaf, a long-haired immortal elf who balances refinement and wisdom with sharp archery and camaraderie, throughout the popular film series.

'The Pirates of the Caribbean' Franchise

After garnering a noted role in Black Hawk Down (2001), another big part was on the horizon for Bloom. In 2003 he starred as the sensitive Will Turner in the Disney action/adventure The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, alongside Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp. Pirates marked another huge world blockbuster for Bloom, who would go on to star in the next two sequels of the franchise: Dead's Man Chest (2006) and At World's End (2007).

'Troy,' 'Elizabethtown'

Bloom continued doing period work, playing Paris in the 2004 film Troy, which also stars Brad Pitt and Eric Bana. The following year, the actor was featured as a leading man in two films: Ridley Scott's Crusades epic Kingdom of Heaven and Cameron Crowe's drama Elizabethtown (both released in 2005). Then, in 2006, Bloom appeared with actress Zoe Saldana in the thriller Haven, which he also co-produced.

In between his more high-profile Hollywood work, Bloom has starred in indie fare like Ned Kelley (2003) and New York, I Love You (2009). Additionally, in 2007, he returned to the stage for a London revival of In Celebration.

'The Three Musketeers,' 'The Hobbit'

Another cape-and-sword opportunity arose for Bloom when he was cast in a 2011 update of The Three Musketeers, which failed to catch hold at the U.S. box office. The actor then returned to working with Jackson, reprising his role as Greenleaf for portions of The Hobbit film trilogy, the first installment of which was released in December 2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Bloom reprised his role as Will Turner for a fifth time in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) and showed his sense of humor in the Andy Samberg-led mockumentary Tour de Pharmacy, playing the character Juju Pepe. In 2018 he starred in the British-Chinese thriller action flick S.M.A.R.T. Chase.

'Carnival Row'

Bloom pivoted from the big screen to the streaming service market with the August 2019 debut of Netflix's Carnival Row. The series has him playing Rycroft "Philo" Philostrate, a detective who investigates crimes in a city populated by people and mythological-type humanoids.

Personal Life and Son

Bloom enjoys a number of athletic activities, including mountain bike riding and yoga, and once set voyage as a crewmember on a ship to Antarctica. He is also a practicing Buddhist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Bloom was linked romantically to actress Kate Bosworth for some time before marrying Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr in 2010. The couple welcomed son Flynn Christopher the following year, on January 6, 2011. On October 24, 2013, it was announced that Bloom and Kerr had separated on good terms and that year were divorced.

In February 2019, Bloom became engaged to pop singer Katy Perry. A year later, Perry revealed that the two were expecting a child by showing off her baby bump in the video for her song "Never Worn White."

QUICK FACTS

  • Birth Year: 1977
  • Birth date: January 13, 1977
  • Birth City: Canterbury, England
  • Birth Country: United Kingdom
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Orlando Bloom is a popular British actor and heartthrob known for his roles in 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films.
  • Industries
    • Film
  • Astrological Sign: Capricorn
  • Schools
    • Guildhall School of Music and Drama
    • The King's School, Canterbury
    • St. Edmund's School
    • British American Drama Academy

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CITATION INFORMATION

  • Article Title: Orlando Bloom Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/orlando-bloom
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: May 10, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

QUOTES

  • Success can allow you to try for greatness, can give you an opportunity to take a chance on something. I'm very blessed to have the success that I've had, and that's given me so many opportunities to work on being great.