“Nothing. I got nothing”: Orlando Bloom Regretted One Crucial Aspect of His Iconic ‘Lord of the Rings’ Role Despite Calling It the “Greatest gift of my life”
British actor Orlando Bloom rose to fame with Peter Jackson-led fantasy drama The Lord Of The Rings. The cinematic masterpiece is still considered one of the best franchises under the category of fantasy. The 46-year-old brought the character of the Sindarin Elf Legolas to life in the franchise.
Peter Jackson’s masterpiece helped Orlando Bloom solidify his career in Hollywood. However, not many people know that he accepted Legolas with open arms for a very humble salary in return for his undying commitment to the reputed trilogy.
Orlando Bloom Was Paid Very Measly For His Role In The Lord Of The Rings
During his appearance on the chat show The Howard Stern Show in April 2023, Orlando Bloom spoke about the famous series. While talking about the salary he was offered for one of the iconic roles played by him in The Lord Of The Rings, he candidly said-
“Nothing, nothing I got nothing. $175,000 that’s what I got.“
He was not a prominent face back then and the meager pay for his association with the famous fantasy franchise did not affect the English actor. He said-
“Listen, the greatest gift of my life and I’d do it again for half the money.”
From his response, it is evident that Orlando Bloom gave more importance to his association with the sprawling franchise. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of his acting career as his performance as Legolas brought him into the limelight.
Orlando Bloom Talks About His The Lord Of The Rings Character Legolas
Orlando Bloom appeared for a Google+ Hangout interview organized by the media outlet Entertainment Weekly in 2013 and spoke about random things in his life- starting from his love for James Bond and his favorite actors Ryan Gosling and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. While talking about his association with The Lord Of The Rings, the actor spoke about his character Legolas, he mentioned that the enigmatic Sindarin Elf is his soul. He said-
“Legolas is my soul and then Romeo is my heart—really this year, I’ve had the chance to live my characterial dreams — is that even a word, characterial?”
He even spoke about his The Lord Of The Rings co-stars’ s influence on him. He mentioned about actor Viggo Mortensen and said-
“Viggo Mortensen had the biggest impact on me in terms of approach, dedication, intention, and artistic outlook and I’m nowhere close to how good he is as an artist and I wouldn’t even put myself in the same category as an actor.”
Orlando Bloom has been a part of Johnny Depp-led Pirates Of The Caribbean too. The actor was last seen in a biographical sports drama Gran Turismo.
The Lord of the Rings series is currently available on HBO Max.
Source: The Howard Stern Show/ Entertainment Weekly
