Personality profile 


ovation at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The release of The Hobbit, together with the recent announcement that he and his partner of seven years, Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr, had split, has once more brought the name of Orlando Bloom to the fore. In a few weeks’ time, his name is to be added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which contains 2,500 stars embedded in the pavement covering 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard, where he will unveil his star at the same time as singer Katy Perry.


fame. He’s the same Orlando we’ve always known: fun-loving, enthusiastic and supportive.” Orlando, who became a father


himself three years ago, says he loves returning to Canterbury when he can and he has many happy memories of his childhood spent in the city. He was appointed honorary


patron of the New Marlowe Theatre campaign in 2011 and also retains close links with the University of Kent, where his mother is an honorary member.


“Having a child has really centered me.” “It’s been my biggest challenging role so far. It has helped me to change and become a better person. I feel so blessed to have him.”


Orlando has just completed a


successful 15-week run as Romeo in the Broadway revival of Romeo & Juliet, playing opposite award-wining American actress Condola Rashad, and the modern take on the traditional Shakespearean play with motorbike-riding Romeo clad in jeans and a T-shirt dating a black Juliet drew wide acclaim and audiences from around the globe, despite being up against a wealth of competition from some of the world’s best showstopping musicals. Orlando’s proud mother, who spent


a week in New York, during which time she watched no less than four performances of the play, said: ”Of course we are all thrilled and incredibly proud of him, not only for his achievements and awards, but because of the way he deals with his


In July 2010, in a glittering


ceremony in Canterburys Cathedral, the University of Kent bestowed on Orlando an Honorary Doctorate of Arts for services to film worldwide. “Canterbury and the Marlowe


Theatre hold a special place in my heart,” he said. “Regional theatres are an integral part of any community. They have a vital role to play in bringing people together from all backgrounds. I am sure the New Marlowe will inspire future generations.” Orlando was an enthusiastic


backer of the city’s 2013 bid for the City of Culture award and, later this year, he expects to be back in Canterbury as patron of the New Marlowe Youth Theatre, continuing his support for his home city’s arts and drama development.


Ten years ago, the search engine Lycos, recorded Orlando Bloom as the most searched for actor in the world, and in 2006, his was the second most sought - after name worldwide, receiving some 160 million hits daily from 98 different countries. Given the opportunity to meet such an icon, it would have been churlish to refuse. It was quite surreal to be standing in Orlando’s dressing room, posing for photos and chatting about his role as Romeo, while he nonchalantly zipped up his trousers and wiped the sweat from his brow after yet another night treading the Broadway boards. It was refreshing to find someone so totally unfazed and unaffected by his fame. Indeed, just as with his interaction with the audience as his sweat-soaked T-shirt was auctioned off for charity at the end of the performance, Orlando was affable and approachable – just like your average boy next door. He seemed genuinely flattered we had flown all the way from England to see the show and was generous with his hugs and kisses. Who couldn’t be a fan after that?


“Canterbury and the Marlowe Theatre hold a special place in my heart. Regional theatres are an integral part of any community.”


Sonia Copeland Bloom, Orlando’s mother, is something of a star


in her own right. Having trained as a journalist on the Worthing Herald, she studied


Spanish and worked in Spain for a time before returning to Britain, where she worked on Vogue and contributed to Foreign Office magazines. In 1966, she married the South African anti-aparthed writer and


barrister Harry Bloom and moved to Canterbury, where she became the University of Kent’s first information officer and he became a lecturer.


She has always been fascinated with entomology the study of bugs


and beetles and, most recently, has completed a set of six books about minibeasts for young children entitled “Tales and Truths”. Her company, Bloomin’ Marvellous Productions Ltd, has been created to promote a possible children’s TV series based on the books.


Mid Kent Living 5


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48