Only two days after graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London in 1999, Orlando Bloom was cast as the elf-prince Legolas in The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003). He was subsequently cast as blacksmith Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (2003-2007). By May 2007, Orlando had appeared in four of the top 15 highest grossing films of all time which established him as a major Hollywood star. He then took a hiatus from film and appeared in a London revival of In Celebration, a play by David Storey, during the summer of 2007.

Orlando is extremely accident prone: he broke his left arm, cracked his skull three times, broke his nose while playing rugby union, broke his right leg skiing in Switzerland, broke his left leg in a motorbike crash, and broke his right wrist while snowboarding.  He also broke his back when he slipped trying to reach a roof terrace of a friend's house and fell three floors. The doctors operated on his back, inserting screws and plates. Orlando also sustained cracked ribs while working on The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. He must go through hell during airport screening

Orlando is a practicing Buddhist and a major soccer fan. He is also committed to a variety of social and political causes. He served as the UNICEF goodwill ambassador to Nepal. Orlando has also been a part of Global Green, an environmental company, since the early 2000s. He actively supported Barack Obama and volunteered for campaign phone canvassing work in California.  In February 2009, Orlando actively participated in the 'Australia Unites' fundraiser to raise support for the victims of the Australian bushfires.

Orlando made headlines in Australia for peeing in a bottle while standing beside his wife Miranda during the delivery of their son in October 2011Miranda told Harper's Bazaar Australia, "He was there every moment by my side. I never even let him go to the bathroom... he had to pee in a bottle."

An Onion Bloom would be an ideal celebratory dish today and watching Orlando again in any of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.
 

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. Cut about 1/2-inch off top of onion; peel onion. Cut onion into 12 to 16 vertical wedges, leaving root base intact. (This is called an
   an onion bloom).
3. Set bloom on 14 X 10-inch foil piece. Top onion with Italian herbs and salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Wrap foil around seasoned bloom and pinch edges together tightly. Placed wrapped bloom upright on pan.
5. Bake  for 30 minutes, or until tender and cooked but "petals" still have body and stand upright. Sprinkle with minced parsley and
   serve. (Baked wrapped onion blooms may be held in warm location for up to 1 hour before serving).

Serves 2