German version

His career began not even half a year ago. Nevertheless, Orlando Bloom, 25 years old, is already the hottest young actor in Hollywood.

Like an avalanche, the success steamrolled the young man from Canterbury, England: His first large film role, Legolas in "The Lord of the Rings",  made him into an award-winning super star over night. While the internet published, practically over night, more than 250 fan sites on him, magazines selected him the "most beautiful man in the world" and the film industry inundated his agency with offers, Orlando Bloom took a quiet vacation to India and was in his return "shocked from so much attention".

The film career began unspectacularly for him: he wanted to "conquer women” he gladly will quote. As a child, he regarded himself as a "Superman" and noticed the girl next to him melt from admiration. "There, the matter was clear for me.”

At 16, he left his home town and went to London, struggling along with extra-roles in TV-series and passing the entrance examination at the time-honored Guildhall School of Music and drama, that Ewan McGregor had already attended years before. Two days before graduation in 1998, Director Peter Jackson told him that he would receive the role in the “The Lord of the Rings". Bloom spent 14 months in New Zealand, came back to London, then worked with Ridley Scott on "Black Hawk Down" (with Josh Hartnett), "Lullaby of Clubland" by Mikey Myers and the short film "Deed Poll", before moving to Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, he stands in Australia in front of the camera: "Ned Kelly" is the name of the adventure film with Heath Ledger and Rachel Griffiths, that should be in English and American cinemas this year. Immediately after, “TheCalcium kid” waits for him, his first comedy.

One thing is clear: Orlando Bloom, already one of the biggest young film stars of this century, will have even more to hear about himself.

In many interviews, you were quoted about your sudden fame with the statement that you "were shocked"...
"One can probably say that. I have dealt with a lot, but not like this! I am still completely overwhelmed by so much attention."

Wasn’t the success of the film foreseeable? It was the most expensive film project of all time after all, the advertisements ran non-stop world-wide.
"Sure, the success was foreseeable in certain respects. But the dimensions, that the success has assumed, were not calculable, nobody could really deal with it. What has surprised me the most, was that so much attention was given to me, even more than Elijah Wood or Viggo Mortensen, who played the leading roles and were already previously established actors."

You flew to India shortly after the premiere of LOTR?
"Yes, that's right. I wanted a little space after all the promotional trips, I spent Christmas and New Year's day in India. When I got to Los Angeles in January, I found my manager dissolved completely before me. She had shown me then what I had missed in the three weeks. It was craziness!"

Have you looked at any of your web sites?
"No, only a few. My manager has shown me the most important briefly. I can only repeat, craziness!"

Does the interest flatter you or do you feel pressured? Has what you seen scared you?
"It is a mixture of both. Above all I was and am surprised. Flattered too. I am frightened over a couple of things also. There were many rumors, many hoaxes, invented quotes and so on. Naturally it frightens me. I don't feel pressured actually. Only a fraction of what is written reaches me".

Do you ever occasionally surf the internet?
"No. I am techno-phobe so to speak. I have no TV, read no magazines, have no computer and no cell phone. I am a nature-loving human being and would like to be dependent or influenced as little as possible on technical devices. I concentrate on the essential things in life, on me and my fellow men, on my work, on my friends and so on."

Can one still live in the present-day without the Internet then? How do you get messages or daily news?
"One can live without the Internet very well! Broadcasters inform about the current events, and yes, just the daily newspaper."

And functions of that type in your business? How does the business run without technology?
"I have a wonderful manager, that takes care of everything. I fully and completely trust this person, I am in good hands."

Don’t you have the need to direct some things themselves?
"I direct my life myself. I can not be distracted or influenced from the events on the computer about my life."

Much is speculated over your private life. You talk little about this topic. Is there a certain reason for that?
"Quite simply, my private life is my private life. I have never found that it has anything to do with my work."

Many female fans of yours get enraged if they see you with a girl on your arm.
"I have heard that. That is bad."

You interact very loosely with your interviewers. One can see that with your television appearances. You also work very relaxed. Does one learn that with time? 
"Yes, the nervousness is small, but it is still there. I hit myself over the head a lot, speak very quickly and already sense internally that I am not relaxed. Maybe that shows up differently on the outside."

We have spoken about your private life, and a question occurs to me, whether you have one at all? I have counted eight films in not even three years, plus the many premieres, television appearances, interviews... Does there remain any time for a girlfriend?
"One must make sacrifices, even hard ones. I had to hand over my dog that I love very much because of the many trips. She now lives with the family of my ex-girlfriend. Many decisions like this must be made."

Will the time come where you will dedicate more time to your private life?
"Of course. If I fall in love, then I fall in love, then this love will be the most important. I am a very devoted human being. Only at the time there is no woman in my life, therefore I devote myself to work.

You have worked on big budget films as well as on small Indie Films. Is there a difference in the operation?
"None worth mentioning. There are differences in the amount of pay and with reference to the amount of time spent working, but actually the operation doesn't differ very much."

A last question on the topic of trips. You now work in Australia, have worked before in New Zealand, have vacationed in India, had big promotional trips through China, Japan, Canada and the USA, live in Los Angeles and in London...which angle of the earth would you like to still travel to?
"All that I haven’t been to."