Orlando Bloom
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Copeland Bloom was born on January 13, 1977 in Canterbury, Kent, England. His mother, Sonia Constance Josephine Bloom (née Copeland),
was born in Kolkata, India, to an English family then-resident there.
The man he first knew as his father, Harry Bloom, was a legendary
political activist who fought for civil rights in South Africa. But
Harry died of a stroke when Orlando was only four years old. After
that, Orlando and his older sister,
Samantha Bloom, were raised by their
mother and family friend, Colin Stone. When Orlando was 13, Sonia
revealed to him that Colin is actually the biological father of Orlando and his sister; the two were conceived after an agreement by his parents, since Harry, who suffered a stroke in 1975, was unable to have children.
Orlando attended St. Edmund's School in Canterbury but struggled in many
courses because of dyslexia. He did embrace the arts, however, and
enjoyed pottery, photography and sculpturing. He also participated in
school plays and was active at his local theater. As a teen, Orlando
landed his first job: he was a clay trapper at a pigeon shooting range.
Encouraged by his mother, he and his sister began studying poetry and
prose, eventually giving readings at Kent Festival. Orlando and
Samantha won many poetry and Bible reciting competitions. Then Orlando,
who always idolized larger-than-life characters, gravitated towards
serious acting. At the age of 16, he moved to London and joined the
National Youth Theatre, spending two seasons there and gaining a
scholarship to train with the British American Drama Academy. Like many
young actors, he also auditioned for a number of television roles to
further his career, landing bit parts in British television shows
Casualty (1986),
Midsomer Murders (1997) and
Smack the Pony (1999). He also
appeared in the critically acclaimed movie
Wilde (1997).
He then attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. It was there,
in 1998, that Orlando fell three stories from a rooftop terrace and
broke his back. Despite fears that he would be permanently paralyzed,
he quickly recovered and returned to the stage. As fate would have it,
seated in the audience one night in 1999 was a director named
Peter Jackson. After the show, he
met with Orlando and asked him to audition for his new set of movies.
After graduating from Guildhall, Orlando began work on the "Lord of the
Rings" trilogy, spending 18 months in New Zealand bringing to life
"Legolas", a part which made him a household name. Today, he is one of
the busiest and most sought-after actors in the industry.
was born in Kolkata, India, to an English family then-resident there.
The man he first knew as his father, Harry Bloom, was a legendary
political activist who fought for civil rights in South Africa. But
Harry died of a stroke when Orlando was only four years old. After
that, Orlando and his older sister,
Samantha Bloom, were raised by their
mother and family friend, Colin Stone. When Orlando was 13, Sonia
revealed to him that Colin is actually the biological father of Orlando and his sister; the two were conceived after an agreement by his parents, since Harry, who suffered a stroke in 1975, was unable to have children.
Orlando attended St. Edmund's School in Canterbury but struggled in many
courses because of dyslexia. He did embrace the arts, however, and
enjoyed pottery, photography and sculpturing. He also participated in
school plays and was active at his local theater. As a teen, Orlando
landed his first job: he was a clay trapper at a pigeon shooting range.
Encouraged by his mother, he and his sister began studying poetry and
prose, eventually giving readings at Kent Festival. Orlando and
Samantha won many poetry and Bible reciting competitions. Then Orlando,
who always idolized larger-than-life characters, gravitated towards
serious acting. At the age of 16, he moved to London and joined the
National Youth Theatre, spending two seasons there and gaining a
scholarship to train with the British American Drama Academy. Like many
young actors, he also auditioned for a number of television roles to
further his career, landing bit parts in British television shows
Casualty (1986),
Midsomer Murders (1997) and
Smack the Pony (1999). He also
appeared in the critically acclaimed movie
Wilde (1997).
He then attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. It was there,
in 1998, that Orlando fell three stories from a rooftop terrace and
broke his back. Despite fears that he would be permanently paralyzed,
he quickly recovered and returned to the stage. As fate would have it,
seated in the audience one night in 1999 was a director named
Peter Jackson. After the show, he
met with Orlando and asked him to audition for his new set of movies.
After graduating from Guildhall, Orlando began work on the "Lord of the
Rings" trilogy, spending 18 months in New Zealand bringing to life
"Legolas", a part which made him a household name. Today, he is one of
the busiest and most sought-after actors in the industry.