Bloom, Orlando (1977– )

English actor. Known for his chiselled handsomeness and heroic roles in adventure films, he became a star and teen heart-throb from his role as elf prince Legolas Greenlead in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–03). Other films include Ridley Scott's war dramas Black Hawk Down (2001) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005); Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (2003–07); and Wolfgang Petersen's epic Troy (2004).

Bloom had small roles in British television series such as Casualty, The Ben Elton Show, and Midsomer Murders before landing his first film role, a cameo in Wilde (1997). He rejected subsequent film offers to attend the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama 1997–99, and was chosen for his Lord of the Rings role just before graduation. Other films include the boxing mockumentary The Calcium Kid (2003) and Cameron Crowe's romantic comedy Elizabethtown (2005).

Bloom was born in Canterbury, in Kent, England. He left school at 16 and moved to London to pursue an acting career. He performed with the National Youth Theatre for two seasons before winning a scholarship to train with the British American Drama Academy, where he played the lead in A Walk in the Vienna Woods. While at the Guildhall, he performed in several plays including Twelfth Night, Trojan Women, The Seagull, and Antigone.