Actor Orlando Bloom, star of the Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings movies, was named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations children’s organisation UNICEF on Monday. The 32-year-old British actor has supported the work of UNICEF since 2007, visiting projects in Nepal, Russia and Sarajevo that bring clean water, education and shelters to children. He also took part in a local school radio production put on by children in one of the poorest regions of Nepal. More..

Scott Mendelson from The Huffington Post writes: The man has a record six movies that have grossed $300 million+ in the US, plus another two $100 million+ earners. His popularity was actually a factor in the success of several of those pictures. He has worked with such directors as Ridley Scott (twice), Cameron Crowe, Peter Jackson (thrice), Wolfgang Petersen, and Gore Verbinski (thrice). Counting all of his pictures, his eleven films have grossed an average of $207 million (he’s averaged $253 million if you only count the mainstream studio pictures). His average opening weekend for said wide releases is $61 million. From 2002 until 2007, he was a big-league heartthrob whose poster adorned the walls of many a teenage girl. He was one of People’s ‘Sexiest Men Alive’ in 2006. Yet Orlando Bloom is nowhere to be seen in today’s filmmaking landscape. More..

Ringer White Crow sends us the following from the UK Mail:
“Thieves have raided the LA home of Orlando Bloom, making away with belongings worth about £300,000. His vintage watches – including one worth around £150,000, jewellery and cash are thought to have been stolen, after burglars entered the Hollywood Hills home through a window.” [Complete Article]

One of Horton Foote’s last works is adding cast and moving closer to production. Producers on “Main Street,” the late playwright’s new and final screenplay, are in negotiations to cast Orlando Bloom and have signed Andrew McCarthy ahead of the project’s planned April shoot. The pair join an ensemble that already includes Ellen Burstyn, Patricia Clarkson and Colin Firth. It has yet to cast the central character, a young-girl role. Foote’s drama centers on a group of people in a small town in North Carolina whose lives are shaken up when a stranger arrives. Bloom will play a small-town policeman, while McCarthy will play a Lothario business manager. Orlando Bloom heads to ‘Main Street’

Tomorrow at 10am PT, Sideshow Collectibles.com will launch their latest Lord of the Rings Premium Format Figure – Legolas Greenleaf. According to their website, the piece is based on Legolas as he appears in the Mines of Moria, with the exclusive edition featuring an orc skull. With a pretty striking sculpt of Orlando Bloom as Legolas, and a limited edition of 500 pieces, they expect the exclusive to sell out very quickly. For more information, check out SideshowCollectibles.com! [Learn More] [Full Gallery and Description]

Elenya writes: I thought this might be relevant for homepage. It’s Orlando Bloom helping out at the telethon we had here for the victims of the Victorian bushfires. Read the rest of this entry »

Lindsay alerted us that Orlando Bloom helped man the phones at the Australian Bushfire Telethon Thursday night. So far, more than $75 million has been raised to help fire-ravaged communities rebuild their lives. Speaking on the program, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the outpouring of generosity from individuals and companies to those caught in the weekend’s deadly bushfires has made him feel proud to be an Australian. Other celebrities who appeared to support the telethon included politicians, musicians and sports stars. TheOneRing.net offers heartfelt support to our friends ‘down under’ dealing with the terrible fires. Read More

Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom (born 13 January 1977) is an English actor. He had his break-through roles in 2001 as the elf-prince Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and blacksmith Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy of films, and subsequently established himself as a lead in Hollywood films, including Troy, Elizabethtown and Kingdom of Heaven. Bloom most recently appeared in the sequels Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Bloom made his stage debut in In Celebration at the Duke of York’s Theatre, St. Martin’s Lane, which ended its run on 15 September 2007.

Another week, another wacky list from the folks at Entertainment Weekly. This week, EW is listing the ‘Never Say Die: 17 Beloved Pop-Culture Immortals‘ in film, and who do you think makes the list? That’s right! None other than our elf friend Legolas!

Read through the full list over at EW.com [Full List]

From movieweb.com: Director Johnnie To is eyeing Orlando Bloom to star in Red Circle for France’s Studio Canal, a spokesperson from To’s production shingle Milkyway Image said Tuesday. While an offer has gone out to the actor, negotiations have not yet begun. The film is a remake of the 1970 Alain Delon crime thriller Le Rouge Cercle. Longtime To collaborator Wai Ka-Fai (Mad Detective) is developing the script under the helmer’s supervision, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Chow Yun-Fat and Liam Neeson are in negotiations to co-star in the Media Asia co-produced project, which has a reported $40 million budget and is tentatively scheduled to start production in June in Hong Kong and Macau. Orlando Bloom Eyed for Red Circle