Orlando Bloom
Interview By: Christian Ghigliotty
*Click Here For Another Interview with Orlando Bloom
*Click Here For Another Interview with Orlando Bloom
For Orlando Bloom, being a hero is becoming more than playing a role;
it's a full-time job. But the twenty-seven year old doesn't seem to mind
very much; on the set of the Ridley Scott helmed Kingdom of Heaven, he rescued a prairie dog from one of the movies expansive and meticulously
created sets. 'I rescued him from the streets while on Kingdom of Heaven. He
was on location at the set where my character Balian goes to assume his
father's land, and I saw him in the arms of this man.'
The rescuing of a helpless prairie dog may seem insignificant but the act is seemingly more symbolic than he would probably admit. In order for Bloom to fully become
the hero he plays in the movie he had to make a transition from his usually
charming, fresh-faced characters to one that translated to a strong male on
screen presence. 'It was important to make that transition to man; it was
important for me to play, to make Balian a real man. And so I trained hard, lifted a lot of weights. I put on fifteen to twenty pounds by the end.' But with this transition comes baggage, as Bloom's rising star has put him in the starring role of Scott's $100 million dollar plus epic. Although rising to challenge may seem like a daunting task, especially with the magnitude and scale of the movie, the self-proclaimed 'director's actor' felt at ease throughout the entire process. 'I was in the hands of Ridley Scott. I knew
I would be in safe hands and I knew the movie would have integrity and be
interesting and big and he would do a masterful job of making it.'
Great actors have been molded by their experiences with mastermind
directors. There's no doubt that Bloom has been changed in some way through
the making of the movie but it seems that the decision to make the movie
spurts from some deep seated passion to grow both on screen and off. After
wrapping up production on Troy he read the script for Kingdom of Heaven and was hooked from the outset. 'It would have been a great polar opposite to the Paris character or be it the fact that Balian is a reluctant hero. He's
not like a Gladiator, like a Russell Crow type hero. This is a spaghetti
western, this is more like a Sergio Leoni film; that is what kind of hero
Balian is. He assumes a lot of responsibility he wasn't ready for because all
he's trying to do is find out the answers to some of the bigger questions in
life, which is, 'Why would God allow this to happen to me and how do I cope
with this'''
Why seems to be the question that permeates throughout the movie. Why
would God put Balian through this, or more importantly why does Scott put
Balian through the events of Kingdom of Heaven' The story opens in France
1184, one hundred years after Christian seizure of Jerusalem. Bloom plays
Balian, a blacksmith whose faith is tested after his pregnant wifes' suicide.
Looming at large are the Crusades, despite a truce between both the Muslims
and Christians. According to Bloom, Balian's actions result from a need to
embark on a 'journey of spiritual discovery.' That spiritual journey asserts
his position within Christendom, which culminates in a bloody war against
Saladin, commander of the Muslim army.
The painstaking detail is done in classic Ridley Scott fashion, as twelfth century Jerusalem was reinterpreted with locales in Spain and Morocco giving the movie a very aged feel. It also did the job of fascinating the young actor. 'I had a wonderful time in
Morocco. We were embraced by the local communities. They were very welcoming
to us. They obviously want movies to be made there and so every attempt was
taken to assure that everything went down safely and happily and it was a
remarkable experience. I never once felt threatened; I could just walk
around the street and just hang out and have a good time without the constant
attention of people and paparazzi.' His comfort was short lived, however, when the
scenery changed from the swirling sands and mystery laden streets of Morocco
to the boisterous and vibrant cornucopia of festivity that is Spain. The
privacy he enjoyed in Morocco virtually disappeared once word got out of his
arrival. People were chanting his name at all hours of the night, which
barely afforded Bloom any sleep. 'That was the first time that I experienced
that kind of attention and it was because I was the lead and because it was a
big movie in town, so I think they were expecting us to be around which is
why I probably got that much attention. I was a little intimidated, I can't
lie.'
Because of the overwhelming attention he received security inevitably
became an issue, which prevented Bloom from fully taking in the experience of
Spain the way he would have liked. 'It made it difficult to go about my
daily life but for the sake of filming for a few months it was worth it. In
fact security and police guards were putting up barriers and I was told that
I couldn't stop because if I did, they could break down the barriers and some
people could get hurt.'
His 'maniacal' fans made him realize that now more than ever he has to make
what he calls a 'series of adjustments' to cope with the stresses of his
career. It seems as though no one has had their fill of Orlando Bloom; he is
currently shooting back-to-back sequels of Pirates of the Caribbean and
recently finished wrapping the more contemporaneous Elizabeth Town. Our up
and coming hero is having a blast reprising his role as William Turner in
Pirates of the Caribbean, but he hopes Elizabeth Town will expose a side of himself that neither his fans nor his critics have seen. 'Hopefully the role will
expose a lighter, quirky quality to myself which will hopefully come out in
Elizabeth Town.'
In Orlando Bloom we trust. But make no mistake, this crafty Brit is very
aware of his abrupt shot to stardom, maybe hyperactively aware. For lovers
and haters of Bloom, he's just getting warmed up. 'I reflect sometimes and
I'm five, six years out of drama school and I'm starring in a Ridley Scott
movie. I'm still sort of pinching myself a little bit because I still feel
like I'm really in the first chapter of my career and I'm very lucky to have
the opportunities up to this point and ultimately I'm counting my lucky
stars.'
Heroes don't have to count stars. All they have to do is save a prairie
dog every now and then.
ChristianGhigliotty@TheCinemaSource.com
