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Orlando Bloom was born on January 13, 1977, in Canterbury, England. His father, South African novelist and activist Harry Bloom, died when Orlando was only four years old.
Orlando (named after the hero in Virginia Woolf's Orlando: A Biography) and older sister Samantha were raised by their mother. It was she who encouraged the young Blooms to appreciate the arts and
participate in the Kent Festival with poetry and prose recitals. Orlando Bloom's plans of becoming an actor developed quite early, when he realized that "Superman" 'Christopher Reeve' was an
actor.
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 (1997), earned him - only 20 years old by that time - various
film offers, all of which he turned down in favour of playing in theatre for about three years. On stage, he appeared in plays like "The Seagull", "Twelfth Night" and "Trojan
Women".
In 1998, the notorious daredevil almost died after falling three stories, while he was attempting to climb onto a friend's rooftop terrace. He broke his back, and doctors initially
believed he'd spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Successful surgery allowed him to walk out of the hospital on crutches some 12 days later. The ordeal gave the young actor a new perspective and
appreciation of life.
Just days before he graduated from Guildhall in 1999, Bloom received a telephone call from his agent that would supercharge his big-screen career. He had originally
auditioned for the role of Faramir in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but he was instead cast in the role of Legolas Greenleaf. The shooting took place over a 14-month period in director Peter Jackson's
native New Zealand; far away from Bloom's home in England.
Before filming began in the fall of 1999, Bloom spent two months training in swordplay, archery and horseback riding, learning the
skills he would need to play the elf-warrior. The part also required a physical makeover, as the dark-haired, dark-eyed actor was transformed into the Elf Prince of Mirkwood through the use of blue
contacts, a long blond wig, and prosthetic ear extensions. His only serious injury came about when another actor accidentally cracked one of Bloom's ribs after the two fell from the same horse.
In
2003, Bloom was seen in even more action-adventure flicks, including Ned Kelly, based on the life of the infamous Australian outlaw and folk hero. The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black
Pearl hit the screens in the summer of 2003, and stars Johnny Depp, Bloom, and Geoffrey Rush.
In 2004, Orlando Bloom appeared as the prince in the epic adventure flick, Troy, based on Homer's
classic, The Iliad. The film also stars Brad Pitt as ancient hero Achilles.
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