He’s best known for his role as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings series or as Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean but there was a time when Orlando Bloom was just a struggling young actor waiting for his first big break.
The 48-year-old actor spoke at length about his experience making both of those movies at last month’s Fan Expo Chicago 2025, as well as some of the hardships he faced when he was still starting out.
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Bloom’s second role in a major movie was PFC Todd Blackburn in Ridley Scott’s 2002 war film, Black Hawk Down. Filming began shortly after his 24th birthday, and as the actor recalled, it was like being thrown “from the frying pan into the fire”.
Working with Ridley Scott
Working with the meticulous Blade Runner director and producer Jerry Bruckheimer was extremely demanding, with Bloom spending much of his time on set being ordered around and screamed at.
And before he stepped in front of the cameras, Orlando was put through a grueling boot camp as part of his preparation. Fortunately, he can laugh about it now. “We went to Fort Benning. It was so brutal. I mean it was like, I think I almost tore… I slightly tore my meniscus in my knee, but I managed to strap it and get through it,” he told the audience at Fan Expo Chicago. “It was intense. We were in the bunks and being ordered around and screamed at and yelled at, and really it was an intense thing”.
In March 2001, production moved to Kénitra in northwestern Morocco. “We spent six months in Morocco and we were sporadic in filming, and I’m really only in the beginning bit and then fall from the helicopter and then I’m there. It’s sporadic, but I felt like I was there forever because you’re a young actor and they can pay you to be there, which was great,” he continued.
Despite suffering a sore knee, overall, the Black Hawk Down experience was very positive, Bloom concluded: “I actually had a great time in Morocco as well. I had a friend, and we’d go to different parts of the country and check it out, which was cool as well. I love to travel, love to experience different cultures, and there’s an amazing culture in Morocco”.
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Foster bows out
Another member of the cast wasn’t so lucky. Ben Foster had been cast as CPL Jamie Smith, another member of the 75th Ranger Regiment. Foster had to drop out after picking up an injury during basic training. “I think Ben properly tore his groin muscle, because everyone was really trying to go for it. And I think he had to be recast, so that was really serious,” Orlando recalled. The role went to Charlie Hofheimer.
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