Orlando Bloom Recalls "Painfully" Struggling With Fame in His 20s

Orlando Bloom shared the advice he would give his younger self while reflecting on the "heat and attention" he got in the early stages of his career.

By Elyse Dupre Mar 17, 2021 5:06 PMTags
Watch: Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom's Family Beach Day in Hawaii

From The Lord of the Rings to Pirates of the Caribbean, Orlando Bloom has starred in a number of blockbusters. However, the 44-year-old actor doesn't focus on fame.

In a recent feature for The Big Issue, the star shared the lessons he's learned from his career. "In terms of preparing my younger self for 'fame,' I would honestly just say you can't take that stuff seriously," he explained for the publication's latest edition of Letter to My Younger Self. "And you can't let it stop you living your life."

Looking back at his 20s, Bloom recalled how there was "so much heat and attention" on him even without the presence of social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. "I got really good at hiding myself," he added, "because I was really, painfully, trying to live without being just looked at the whole time."

So, what advice would he give his younger self? "I would say to my young self, just appreciate it and enjoy it, and know today's newspaper is tomorrow's fish and chip paper," Bloom stated, "especially with those kind of [celebrity] magazines." 

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Orlando Bloom's Best Roles

Don't get him wrong. Bloom is grateful he's been in the biz for as long as he has. And he continues to appear on screen. In recent years, he's acted in Carnival Row and The Outpost. He's also set to play Prince Harry in Gary Janetti's animated series for HBO Max, The Prince.

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Of course, he has another important role: dad. Bloom has a 10-year-old son named Flynn—whom he shares with his ex-wife, model Miranda Kerr—and a 7-month-old daughter named Daisy, whom he welcomed with his fiancée, singer Katy Perry, last year. Although, it seems like the kids don't pay too much attention to his résumé.

"He's had snippets of Lord of the Rings and things, but yeah, he's not fazed. He's completely unfazed," Bloom said of Flynn on Live With Kelly and Ryan in 2019. "He's like, 'Really?' Or at least, that's how he plays it. He plays it so cool, my son. He plays it super cool."