It was months before the cameras were set to roll on one of 20th Century Fox’s most ambitious projects for 2005, a $140 million historic epic about the Crusades by the director Ridley Scott. And still there was no one to play the leading role of Balian. Mr. Scott had at first envisioned Russell Crowe, the scowling, muscled star of his “Gladiator” hit, to play the role of a blacksmith and reluctant Crusader in the Holy Land. But Mr. Crowe had other projects on his slate, and would not alter them to fit the director’s timetable. It took four more months of searching by casting agents and Mr. Scott to settle on Orlando Bloom, the long-haired, doe-eyed young British actor who was high on Hollywood’s list of hot new stars in the making. Mr. Bloom, who had won a fan base of teenage girls with his performance in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and who was fresh off the set of another historical epic, Warner Brothers’ “Troy,” was the favored choice of Fox executives. [More]
Category: Orlando Bloom
From DarkHorzons: 20th Century Fox will release theatrically a director’s cut of Ridley Scott’s Crusades epic “Kingdom of Heaven” today says The Hollywood Reporter. The film, which centers on a young Frenchman (Orlando Bloom) who discovers his destiny as a knight amid the clash between Muslims and Christians over the Holy Land a millennium ago, will unspool exclusively at the Laemmle Fairfax Theatre in Los Angeles. [More]
HOLLYWOOD – Hollywood stars Orlando Bloom and Kate Bosworth have sparked rumors they have become engaged to be married, after perusing London’s top jewelers this weekend. The Kingdom of Heaven actor, 28, has enjoyed an on/off relationship with the 22-year-old beauty since January 2003, after they met filming an advertisement for clothing giant Gap. An onlooker tells British newspaper The Sun, “They were picking out engagement rings and she was trying them on. They popped into lots of flash jewelers on New Bond Street. But they were in Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels for the longest period. [More]
Robbie Williams is lining up his celebrity pals for a charity football team he is organising. Among the stars he has asked to join the side are Jude Law, Orlando Bloom, Corrie’s Bradley Walsh, ex-Arsenal player Ian Wright and Jamie Theakston. He also wants Terry Venables to manage the side. [More]
Elen writes: I want to tell you guys about a great charity auction going on right now that includes items from Orlando Bloom and Sir Ian Mckellen. It’s called Blue Jeans for Genes, and it benefits the National Hemophilia Foundation. Hemophilia is a debilitating and incurable blood disorder where the patient’s blood doesn’t clot. It’s treatable, but sometimes very hard to live with. Check it out! [More]
Ringer Spy Celevon writes in: Last night’s edition of Entertainment Tonight reported regular cover hunk Orlando Bloom tops Teen People’s list of sexiest men. (The editor of the magazine basically said it was Orlando first, “the rest nowhere”.) Teen People’s Sexiest Men issue goes on sale September 3rd.