Orlando Bloom Biography

Orlando Bloom was born on January 13th, 1977 in Canterbury, England. Bloom was raised with his older sister, Samantha. At sixteen, Bloom moved to London and performed with the National Youth Theatre for two seasons before earning a scholarship to train with the British American Drama Academy. This led to small roles on British television and his debut on the big screen in ‘Brian Gilbert's Wilde’ (1997). While in school, Bloom was trying to climb onto a friend's rooftop terrace when he fell two stories and broke his back. The accident almost paralyzed the actor, but he walked out of the hospital on crutches. Soon afterward, his peers auditioned for roles in the upcoming ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. The extensive and selective casting process took place in English-speaking countries around the world. Bloom tried out for the role of Faramir, a character introduced in the second film, ‘The Two Towers’ (2002) and the third ‘The Return of the King’(2004). After meeting with the director, Peter Jackson, he asked that Bloom read for the part of Legolas Greenleaf, a much more prominent figure who is featured in all three films