Beneath the blonde locks and pointy ears of Legolas Greenleaf hides the curly hair and chiselled features of Orlando Bloom. At 25, with two major blockbusters already under his belt and the Lord Of The Rings sequels to follow, he truly is the stuff that fantasies are made of. And, as far as we're concerned, whatever this Canterbury-born beauty does, he'll always come up smelling of roses.
What was it like landing the part of Legolas?
It was like winning the lottery. I mean, imagine being flown to this amazing country and being taught to shoot a bow and arrow, learning swordplay and how to ride horses. It was sick! I was pinching myself. Not until I'd filmed a few scenes did I finally believe it was happening.
What was it like shooting in New Zealand for 18 months?
It really became my home. It was stunning, like the most beautiful parts of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales all put together on one tiny island; mountains, plains, rolling fields and loads of sheep. When you're thrown together on such a project, you have no choice but to make friends for life.
That would explain why the Fellowship each got an Elvish tattoo of the word "nine" then?
Yeah, mine's on my wrist. People got them everywhere and I think Elijah (Wood) got his on his stomach.
Were you intimidated, seeing as it was your first major part in a film?
Yes. Tolkien created elves to be these perfect beings, to bring the world forward. It's quite a responsibility, trying to take that to the screen. And of course, people who've read the books have invested so much love into these characters. Also for me, coming straight out of drama school, being thrown into a group of actors like Ian McKellan, Ian Holm and Christopher Lee was incredibly daunting.
What was it like wearing those elf ears?
Surprisingly, it wasn't uncomfortable at all, other than the two hours it took to put them on. I went home one day without the wig but with the ears on. I crawled into bed with my girlfriend and woke up with one ear stuck to the pillow and the other still in place, with my girlfriend taking photos and laughing. I'd love to have gone out with them on but we had to maintain secrecy, so it's not like you could go to a bar or anything.
Do you need loads of special training to play an elf?
I was the first of the cast to arrive and they put a bow in my hand straightaway! I started using the bow and getting to grips with archery - by the end of the week I was taking paper plates out of the sky. Riding was also important, particularly in the second movie. I had real faith in my horse but fell off him once and broke a rib. Elvin fighting is based on an ancient European and Asian style, so I learned those skills using two blades. Essentially, I had to learn to slow down the movements for the camera but still make them look flashy.
You say you broke a rib, is it true that you've always been a bit accident prone and even managed to break your back once?
Some friends had a roof terrace below their flat and I fell off the drainpipe. I was told I might not walk again and for four days I had to contemplate that possibility. Then they operated on me and I walked out of hospital 12 days later. I was quite fearless as a kid but I've had to realise I'm not invincible. That's what breaking your back does - it makes you grow up and reassess life.
Doesn't something similar happen to you in Black Hawk Down?
Yeah, the movie's about a bunch of US Army Rangers in Somalia and in the beginning, my character falls about 70 feet from a helicopter, breaks his back and has to be taken to safety in a convoy. It's part of the ranger creed, you know: "Never leave a man behind."
You've got three new movies coming out: Ali G In Da House, Deed Poll and Lullaby In Clubland. What's next?
I don't really know what I'm going to do next - but I like the idea of doing something smaller. Which, when you think about it still leaves quite a few options.
