The only person I had to prove anything to was Ridley because he was the man who was employing me 
When Orlando Bloom last worked for Ridley Scott he was one of an ensemble of unknown British actors in Black Hawk Down. Four years on he is a film superstar, thanks to The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Pirates Of The Caribbean and Troy. Roles in The Calcium Kid, Ned Kelly and the as yet unseen crime movie Haven suggest his taste extends beyond the blockbuster, but Kingdom Of Heaven endorses the hype. He plays Balian, a blacksmith who ascends to greatness when he joins a crusade to Jerusalem in the year 1186. His next film is the contemporary romantic comedy Elizabethtown.
Were you concerned about getting involved in Kingdom Of Heaven so soon after Troy?
Having just played the cowardly younger brother I thought the opportunity to do the complete opposite would be amazing - if I could land it. I sat down with Ridley Scott, we talked about this project and then I auditioned for him. I had six hours to learn three of the biggest scenes in the movie. The next day he stuck a beard on my face, blood on my forehead and chain mail on my back and we got to it. And then I waited, like everyone else, for a few months. I couldn't believe it when the role came through because to go from playing a boy to a man was a great transitional role for me.
How would you explain Balian's state of mind when we first meet him?
He's in a nihilistic state of disillusionment. His wife has committed suicide because they lost a child, so when he goes off on a journey of spiritual discovery he has nothing to lose. Fleeing his homeland he goes to the Holy Land to find forgiveness for his sins and those of his wife. It becomes a coming-of-age story when he meets his father, becomes a knight, falls in love with a princess and becomes the defender of Jerusalem.
Did you feel you had to prove yourself to your co-stars on the film?
I felt I'd done that when I got the role. The only person I had to prove anything to in the beginning was Ridley because he was the man who was employing me. And I really worked for it. It gave me a sense of confidence that he wanted me to do the role, therefore I was right for it in his eyes.
Do you ever marvel at how much has happened to you in the four years since your fleeting role in Ridley Black Hawk Down?
I still pinch myself because I'm only six or seven years out of drama school and it's very much the beginning of my career, but I've had these incredible opportunities. I still think there's a long way to go. I have a lot to do, and a lot of mistakes to make along the way. I don't want to be afraid of that, I just want to keep doing interesting things.
How have you dealt with the media storm that comes with the stardom you've experienced?
The best way is not to read anything anybody writes about me. To just ignore it all. I'm trying to work with some kind of integrity as an actor and do the best job I can. It seems to me that it doesn't matter who you are or what you do there's always going to be that ebb and flow where people want to bring you up and then cut you down. I'm sure there will be a lull, but ultimately I try to keep it about the work.
And will that work involve something other than the historical epics we've seen from you in recent years?
Yeah, definitely. I've found myself in all of these epic films but don't necessarily think I'm that kind of an actor. I just found myself coming out of drama school playing Legolas and it created that kind of a staunch stoic kind of character. But I think I'm very different to what people have seen, and I hope I get the opportunity to explore that. I do to an extent in Elizabethtown. And to a degree in movies like The Calcium Kid, exploring the comedic side to myself, the kind of goofball, geeky kind of dude that I actually feel I really am.
You've talked recently about maybe doing some theatre. Surely your agents would have a say in you taking such a drastic pay cut?
I'm sure I can go and do whatever I want. Don't get me wrong, who's to say, if Spielberg came along or Scorsese... there is a whole slew of amazing film directors. But in the same breath, if I got to do something at the National or the Royal Court, some small and quirky character role, that would be great.
Kingdom Of Heaven is released in UK cinemas on Friday 6th May 2005.
