How Orlando Bloom became the archetypal Hollywood star

Orlando Bloom was born in Canterbury in Kent, England, on January 13, 1977, to parents Sonia Constance Josephine and anti-apartheid novelist Harry Saul Bloom—or so he thought. Bloom grew up believing Harry Saul was his father, though he died when Bloom was four. But he later learned his biological father was actually Colin Stone.

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Trouble in school -

Bloom was discovered to be dyslexic from a young age and that's why his mother reportedly encouraged him to take art and drama classes. Little did she know she was starting off his career.

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Scholarship and study -

Bloom later joined the National Youth Theatre in London and earned a scholarship to train with the British American Drama Academy.

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Feature film debut -

Bloom's first feature film gig was a small role in BBC's 'Wilde' (1997) which starred fellow English heartthrob Jude Law.

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Dedicated to his craft -

Bloom was then accepted to Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London to further sharpen his craft. During his four years there, he performed in several stage productions that caught the right people's attention, and reportedly just two days after graduating he was cast in a role that would change his life.

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Breakthrough role -

The burgeoning actor made his breakthrough into Hollywood as the white-haired, bow-wielding character Legolas in 'The Lord of the Rings' film series, starting with 'The Fellowship of the Ring' in 2001.

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Back-to-back release of the trilogy -

'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' (2002) and 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003) were released consecutively, and the trilogy became one of the most popular fantasy film franchises ever.

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Landing a second big franchise -

Bloom then landed the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise in the role of Will Turner, co-starring alongside Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley, starting with 'The Curse of the Black Pearl' in 2003.

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But he was long slated to be Will Turner -

Even before 'The Lord of the Rings' films took off, Bloom had been selected by director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer to portray Will Turner in the 2003 swashbuckling film, so it wasn't just his fame that got him the part! Bruckheimer had reportedly liked Bloom since his small role in 'Black Hawk Down' (2001), pictured.

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Developing his stunt work -

Bloom did his own stunts to help maximize authenticity on screen, and he and the actors playing pirates spent weeks training with stunt coordinator George Marshall Ruge and his sword masters, Robert Anderson and Mark Ivie. It turns out Bloom had already spent time with both Ruge and Anderson on Lord of the Rings, but even before that he'd done some fencing in drama school.

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Rubbing shoulders with greats -

In spring 2004, Bloom took to the screen as Paris, the man who effectively started the Trojan War, in 'Troy,' opposite Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Diane Kruger, and Peter O'Toole.

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Becoming a leading man -

Having worked with Ridley Scott on 'Black Hawk Down' in 2001, Bloom rejoined the director but this time in a lead role in his epic drama about the Crusades, 'Kingdom of Heaven' (2005). Just like Will Turner, Bloom's character in this film is also a blacksmith-turned-warrior.

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Becoming a leading man -

Bloom subsequently established himself as a leading man in Hollywood romance as well, particularly with 'Elizabethtown' (2005), a rom-com in which he stars as a man at the end of his rope who meets a woman, played by Kirsten Dunst, who changes his life.

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Dating Kate Bosworth -

As every Hollywood leading man eventually does, Bloom got into a public on-and-off relationship with a fellow star, actress Kate Bosworth, from 2003–2006.

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Two late back-to-back sequels -

The first 'Pirates of the Caribbean' was not expected to become such a huge success, which was why it took some time to develop the sequels. But then 'Dead Man's Chest' was released in 2006 and 'At World's End' was released a year later in 2007.

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Saying goodbye -

After making 'At World's End,' Bloom decided he would be leaving the pirate franchise to take on new challenges. He told the press he felt satisfied with the closure of his character and stated he was interested in seeing a Jack Sparrow spin-off movie instead.

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Taking to the stage -

Bloom made his professional stage debut in West End's 'In Celebration' at the Duke of York's Theatre, which ended its run on September 2007.

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Using his star power for good -

In 2009, Orlando Bloom was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Throughout his life, he has been vocal about humanitarian work, namely environmental activism and fighting for sanitation and education programs.

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A victim of the Bling Ring -

On July 13, 2009, four teenagers broke into Bloom's Hollywood Hills home and left with nearly half a million dollars' worth of possessions. Later, it was revealed the burglars were part of the "Bling Ring," which targeted homes of young celebrities. Luckily, most of Bloom's stolen items were retrieved. Like a champ, Bloom starred as himself in the 2013 film about the burglars.

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Other film roles -

Bloom appeared in the star-studded ensemble cast of 'New York, I Love You' (2008), and he starred in Mark Ruffalo's directorial debut, 'Sympathy for Delicious' (2010). He starred opposite Colin Firth in 'Main Street' (2010), and starred in a black comedy that he also produced through his own production company Viddywell, which was called 'The Good Doctor' (2011), pictured.

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Marrying Miranda Kerr -

Bloom began dating Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr in 2007. They both announced their engagement and were married in 2010, and had a child together, a son named Flynn, in 2011. Sadly, they divorced in 2013.

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Broadway -

Bloom returned to the stage and made his Broadway debut in an adaptation of 'Romeo and Juliet' in 2013. His performance received rave reviews.

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Reprising the role of Legolas -

Bloom reprised his role as Legolas in parts two and three of 'The Hobbit,' Peter Jackson's three-part prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with 'The Desolation of Smaug' in 2013 and 'The Battle of the Five Armies' in 2014.

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Fun fact -

Bloom got the Elvish word "nine" tattooed on his right wrist, written in fictional Tengwar Elvish script, as a nod to his involvement as one of the nine members of 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' and he was joined by his co-stars Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, and Elijah Wood. Apparently John Rhys-Davies' stunt double got the tattoo instead of him.

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His Hollywood star -

Joining the ranks of Hollywood's elite, Bloom was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 2, 2014 for his contributions to the film industry.

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Reprising the role of Will Turner -

Though he'd said goodbye, Bloom returned for 2017's 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,' the fifth installment of the franchise.

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Fatherhood round two with Katy Perry -

The pair got together in 2016 and though they reportedly split for a short time, Bloom proposed to the singer on Valentine's Day in 2019. In August 2020, they welcomed a child together, a daughter named Daisy.

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Moving into TV -

Since 2019, Bloom has been starring in Amazon Prime's neo-noir fantasy series 'Carnival Row,' as a detective alongside Cara Delevingne. The second season was postponed due to the pandemic.

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'The Outpost' (2020) -

Bloom starred in this American war film about the Battle of Kamdesh in the war in Afghanistan, based on the 2012 non-fiction book 'The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor' by Jake Tapper. It was well received by critics.

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'The Prince' -

In 2021, Orlando Bloom took on the role of Prince Harry in the animated satire sitcom 'The Prince,' which follows Prince George of Cambridge, the youngest heir to the British throne, as he navigates the trials and tribulations of being a royal child.

Sources: (IMDb) (Biography) (MTV)

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How Orlando Bloom became the archetypal Hollywood star

The actor turns 45 this January 13

13/01/22 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Retrospective

With humble yet intriguing beginnings, years of dedication to his craft, small impressions that led to big breaks, participation in successful franchises, a side career on the stage, high-profile romances, and a lethal amount of charm, it's not hard to see why Orlando Bloom is the archetypal Hollywood star.

He worked his way up to leading man and did not disappoint once he got to the top, but he's also stayed true to his love of acting and has evolved along with the industry. Intrigued? Click through to learn more about the English heartthrob and his fascinating career.