Orlando Bloom’s career really took off with The Lord of the Rings, shortly followed by Pirates of the Caribbean. Although both were fantasy, his roles as Legolas and Will Turner were vastly different and showed a range of his performing skills. Each franchise was spread over a number of years, allowing Bloom to take on other work in between. In 2004, he appeared in the epic historical war film Troy alongside Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, and fellow Lord of the Rings actor Sean Bean. 2013 took him to a crime-thriller called Zulu, which also starred Forest Whitaker, before reprising his role as Legolas and performing in the second Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug, in the same year. The next year, he continued his journey with the Elvish character in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. In 2019, Bloom once again switched up on genres, playing a role in the war movie The Outpost, which was based on the non-fiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. 2023 gave him the chance to perform in a sports movie called Gran Turismo before rounding off last year with the psychological thriller The Cut.

However, on two occasions, he almost wasn’t in the franchises that fans came to know him so well for. The battle to save Middle-earth from the dark lord Sauron fell on the shoulders of the young Hobbit, Frodo, who was in good, strong company with his friends, which included Legolas. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, was released in 2003 and saw Will and Captain Jack Sparrow search for Elizabeth Swann, who had been kidnapped by pirates. Bloom made his mark on both franchises, and it’s now hard to imagine either without him. However, there was a time when Bloom was close to missing out on each of them. A different Legolas and Will Turner were nearly given to audiences but for totally unrelated reasons.

Bloom Didn’t Like the Sound of Pirates of the Caribbean

Image Via Walt Disney Pictures

Considering it turned out to be the first franchise with two movies to gross over $1 billion, who would’ve thought that one of the leading actors almost passed up the opportunity to star in Pirates of the Caribbean? Speaking on the Howard Stern Show, Bloom explained he wasn’t overly struck by the idea of a film based on a Disney pirate ride, stating that “pirate movies haven’t worked.” Whilst he was working on a movie called Ned Kelly, Bloom had his mind changed. Filming was taking place in Australia, and Bloom was starring alongside Heath Ledger. They were playing “these rough and tough guys in the outback,” which was in some contrast to the fantasy films. Geoffrey Rush was also working with the two actors, and told Bloom that he should really consider Pirates of the Caribbean. He acknowledged that it would be a great part for Bloom, and he should take it seriously. Rush took on the role of Captain Hector Barbossa in the franchise.

Film
Rotten Tomatoes
IMDb

The Curse of the Black Pearl
79%
8.1/10

Dead Man’s Chest
53%
7.4/10

At World’s End
43%
7.1/10

On Stranger Tides
32%
6.6/10

Dead Men Tell No Tales
30%
6.5/10

The next encouraging step was finding out that Johnny Depp was on board and signing up, who had been in the likes of Donnie Brasco and Sleepy Hollow. Needless to say, Bloom followed suit and was cast as Will Turner. Playing the blacksmith’s apprentice proved Rush’s prediction to be right: it was indeed a fantastic move for Bloom’s career. He managed to blend innocence with a gutsy attitude that pushed the character into a world of unprecedented adventure. The first installment went on to be one of the highest-rated live-action Disney films and led the way for swashbuckler films. A solid combination of action and comedy was enough to sell plenty of theater tickets, giving the green light for four more films to be made, although their rankings got progressively lower each time. A sixth movie is said to be in the works, though it likely won’t include the Elizabeth Swann actress Keira Knightley. In an interview with The Times, Knightley described the toll the films took, with harsh public response and difficult work schedules. Little else is known about the potential upcoming movie, but there will be a lot of expectation in the hopes of bringing the franchise back up to the standard of the first film.

Bloom Originally Auditioned For Faramir in The Lord of the Rings

One of the best things about The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the casting. Every single actor, whether in a minor or major role, fitted their part perfectly, as if J.R.R. Tolkien had written the characters with each cast member in mind. So, to think Bloom was originally up for the part of Faramir doesn’t seem quite right. He didn’t get the part, which went to David Wenham instead, but the Independent reports that he got a call to try out for Legolas on tape. The next step was a meeting with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh before receiving a phone call from his agent to say he got the role. Bloom was overjoyed to be walking into a job straight out of studying at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, which isn’t surprising. To go from studies to being cast in an epic trilogy, based off some of the finest examples of literature, and being directed by Peter Jackson, it must’ve been a whirlwind of emotion.

Bloom was overjoyed to be walking into a job straight out of studying at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Being part of the film’s Fellowship played a significant role. The Council of Elrond gathered nine of the most important characters in the trilogy, and Legolas was part of that. Bloom aptly conveyed the nature of Elves and their skill set, which separated them from other races. His posture and demeanor added to the credibility of his acting; even when he wasn’t talking, audiences could still feel the presence of an Elf. His gentle rivalry with Gimli was beautifully conveyed to show that the two characters didn’t really hate each other. Some of the funniest lines came out of their friendship, even if they were jokes at one another’s expense. Their jibes were part of what made their friendship stronger, and by the end of the trilogy, it was evident that they would sacrifice their lives for each other. Bloom may well have been good at performing as Faramir, but audiences aren’t complaining at how the casting worked out in the end.

Bloom First Met a Lord of the Rings Cast Member on His Flight to New Zealand

Image Via New Line Cinema

Apparently, actors don’t just meet in audition rooms or on set; some bump into each other at an airport. Billy Boyd, who played Pippin, said in an interview he was informed that when he got to Heathrow Airport, he’d be traveling with someone called Orlando Bloom. As relatively unfamiliar faces in the acting world, neither knew of each other. Boyd spotted a guy he thought looked “Elf-like.” He went over and said, “You wouldn’t be Orlando Bloom, would you?” and Bloom reacted by saying, “Billy!” Boyd had just turned 30 years old that day, so they celebrated on the plane with champagne. Then, once they got to L.A., they celebrated again because the time difference meant it was still his birthday. If events had turned out the way they did, and Bloom wasn’t offered the role of Legolas after he wasn’t given Faramir, then Boyd would’ve been toasting his big day with a different actor.

You wouldn’t be Orlando Bloom, would you?

Thankfully, Bloom got cast in two of the biggest franchises and gave audiences exceptional performances in both. Without him, the franchises wouldn’t have been the same. Even though Will Turner and Legolas are two of his most famous roles, viewers are able to easily differentiate between the two because he was able to clearly convey their individual personalities. He always held his own, which is particularly impressive with The Lord of the Rings, considering the scale of the production and the number of big acting names that he shared scenes with. Taking advice from Rush proved to be the right decision, as it highlighted that Bloom’s career didn’t start and end with The Lord of the Rings. He was more than capable of moving on to other roles and continuing to entertain his fans. His next film, Wizards!, is currently in post-production.