Orlando Bloom

AGE 26

'RINGS' ROLE Legolas, the elf with the skills to pay the bills on the crossbow

BEFORE 'LOTR' Brit Bloom was just breaking into the business, costarring in Ridley Scott's ''Black Hawk Down'' just about the same time as the first ''Rings'' hit.

AFTER 'LOTR' Orlando's career has bloomed in the wake of the franchise's success, more so than most of his young castmates. In 2005, he's slated to return to Scott's viewfinder as 12th-century Crusader Salaq Ul-Hul in ''Kingdom of Heaven.'' Also scheduled, of course, are a ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' sequel (also 2005) and Wolfgang Petersen's epic ''Troy'' (May 14), in which Bloom, as mythological Trojan prince Paris, pisses off Greek warrior Achilles (Brad Pitt).

You Might Also Like

• Movie News Shia LaBeouf, Orlando Bloom in ''Love You''
• The Scene Seven days in entertainment
• All About Orlando Bloom
• Cover Story How Orlando, Kirsten, and Cameron Crowe made ''Elizabethtown'' (Oct 14, 2005) | Christine Spines