Nationality: British
Date: January 13, 1977
Birth Place: Canterbury, England, UK
Occupation: actor
Education: The National Youth Theatre (for 2 seasons)
British American Drama Academy
Guildhall School of Music and Drama

At the age of 16, he joined the National Youth Theatre in London, 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 and film roles to further his career, landing bit parts in the TV series "Casualty" and the critically acclaimed movie "Wilde". He then attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for 3 years. It was there, in 1998, where the accident prone Orlando fell three stories from a rooftop terrace and broke his back. Despite very real fears that he would be permanently paralyzed, he quickly recovered.

After graduating from Guildhall, Orlando began work on the Lord of the Rings, spending 18 months in New Zealand bringing to life "Legolas", a part which would make him a household name.

Facts about Orlando Bloom

Bloom has found love with Kate Bosworth – the actor bought Bosworth a 14-carat gold bracelet, which she wore, on the same night she received it, to dinner with Johnny Depp and Bloom's other co-stars in the adventure film PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN; the pair went holidaying in the Caribbean in February 2003.

Voted as the Best Breakthrough Performance in the MTV Movie Awards 2002 from his appearance in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS.

Bloom may be sporting an attractive skirt and sandals ensemble in Wolfgang Petersen's impending epic, TROY -- joining Brad Pitt and Eric Bana, Bloom is currently poised to leap into the Grecian history books as Paris, the brother of Hector and Helen of Troy's bit on the side. (November 14, 2002)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, starring Orlando Bloom, took in $62 million in its opening weekend -- that was up from a $47.2 million weekend debut a year before for THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the first installment of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic of hobbits, wizards and dark sorcerers.

He went on to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, gradutating after 3 years and in 1997 he appeared in the movie WILDE with Jude Law - his first credited part!

His big break came in 1999 when he was cast for the part of Legolas Greenleaf in the $300,000,000 production of J.R.R Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS, which was filmed for 2 years in stunning New Zealand.

Orlando, 10 years old at the time, decided he would become an actor while watching SUPERMAN with his then-girlfriend, when she was apparently drooling over the actor who played superman, and not Orlando.

Orlando Bloom originally auditioned for the part of Faramir in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002). He was called back and subsequently cast, instead, as Legolas.

Eight of the nine members of the Fellowship got a small tattoo, the Elvish symbol for 9 at a tattoo parlor in Wellington, New Zealand, to commemorate the experience of the movie. And Bloom who plays the archer elf Legolas, has his on his forearm.

Orlando went on holiday with Elijah Wood and some others from the cast of LORD OF THE RINGS after the shoot.

Starring as Legolas, he did most of his own stunts and broke a rib in the process.

He won the 2002 MVT Movie Award for 'Breakthrough Male'.

Was nominated with the entire 'Fellowship of the Ring' cast for 'Best Ensemble Acting' at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Personal quotes

On how he got the part in Black Hawk Down - "My character breaks his back, and I had mentioned I had done that when I was up for the part. Who knows why one actor gets a job and another doesn't? I think it was just good timing that I happened to be there and I had had the experience - I mean, I was lucky."

On his character Legolas and the way Legolas moves: "Legolas doesn't speak a lot - he prefers to let his actions speak for him. Legolas' moves are smooth and elegant, like a cat. You know how cats can jump and land steadily on their paws? That's what I'm trying to do. There's a strength in that, but it's very balletic. It's also bloody hard to do without falling over!"

"It's all very surreal. I've had two very fantastic experiences. In Lord of the Rings and in Black Hawk Down. I feel very lucky. I'm sort of doubly excited."

"I'm rather accident-prone, I have to admit. I've broken my back, my ribs, my nose, both my legs, my arm, my wrist, a finger and a toe and cracked my skull three times."

"I broke my back. I fell out of a window... some friends had a roof terrace on the landing before their apartment, and I fell off the drain pipe. It gave way, actually, and I fell three floors. I was told I might not walk again. So, for about four days,I was contemplating that as a serious part of reality. Then they operated, and I walked out of the hospital in about twelve days."

"Viggo used to call me 'elf boy', and I'd call him 'filthy human'. As an Elf, I never got a scratch on me, never got dirty. And Vig would come out with blood and sweat all over him. And he'd say to me, 'Oh, go manicure your nails."

On his 2002 Empire Award: "I think my mum will have [my award] in pride of place somewhere beside my grandmother on the mantelpiece."

"We have these digs at each other. Viggo will go on about Elves and how they're always doing their nails and brushing their long, blonde hair, and being all prissy. And I just say: Well, at least I'm going to live forever! Got that? LIVE FOREVER!"

"You have to be quite serious about tattoos [because] they're there forever."

"For a young actor like me to have the opportunity to work with the genre of actors and directors on 'Lord Of The Rings' is unbelievable. There was no "should I, should I not". It was like, where do I sign up? It was just bonkers. It was like: here, have a life."