BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. _ Actor Orlando Bloom was in his 20s when he hit the big time with three "Lord of the Rings" movies. It wasn't something he'd counted on. Just four years earlier Bloom had broken his back and thought he'd never walk again.
"That was a life-threatening incident," he says. "I nearly died. And for about four days I was told I may not walk again. And I was in excruciating pain. And the physical and emotional pain, the experience of healing through that, taught me a huge amount of, I guess, insight and humility because I realized I wasn't invincible. I wasn't going to live forever. It gave me a sense of perspective on life," he says.
That perspective sustained him during the sudden fame that pelted him. "I was really hot as a pistol and one of the kids who was always working," he says. "(I was) getting lost in that at a certain point, and taking a step out of that and finding my footing again _ that was something that taught me a huge amount," he says.
"On a daily basis there are things that I come across where I wonder: 'How do I navigate that in the right way and stay optimistic and positive and stay in the light and stay focused on the wonderful things, the opportunity that I have and continue to have?'"
That kind of introspection keeps Bloom receptive to new ideas, and his latest project is an example. He's starring as a human detective who rekindles his affair with an immigrant fairy in the Victorian fantasy "Carnival Row," premiering on Amazon Friday.
"This is my first time in the TV space," he says, "and with TV you get to explore the long form of a character. And you don't have to show all your cards immediately."
Bloom followed his "Rings" movies with four successful "Pirates of the Caribbean" films. It was after those that he began to seriously question his choices.
"At the end of 'Pirates' I felt very upside down," he says. "I didn't know which way was up, in a way. I'd been a part of so many big movies, two big franchises, a lot of big movies, and I had sort of lost sight on why I started doing this because I'd been working so consistently.
"And actually sometimes I think it does help to just take time for yourself and to separate, to be able to grow because you've got to grow as a human to be able to portray a character ... and it was a time where I just needed to regroup the troops."
It was then that his son, now 8, was born. "Having a child is an incredible experience and has a massive impact on your psyche and on your ego and who you are," he says.
"And the relationship _ which is still very good with my ex _ wasn't the relationship which ultimately became the relationship of my life _ but we co-parent very well. But all of the ups and downs and challenges and experience that you go through play into the person that you are, and ultimately probably makes you more interesting and more dynamic and more diverse and more connected in some ways," he says.
His religious philosophy helps, too. "I have a Buddhist practice, which has always been an incredible anchor for me. It's been sort of a philosophical and a spiritual teaching that resonated for me," he says.
"I was confirmed in the (Canterbury Cathedral) by the archbishop of Canterbury when I was 12, so I had a really strong spiritual and religious upbringing. I did religious studies so I understood about Christianity, and I think faith is an important part of life. And for me, when I was introduced to the Buddhist philosophy and way of thinking, it felt almost scientific. And in a way, it was like something that enabled me to feel without guilt _ just like I could experience life and have a philosophy that was kind of like a road map."
He feels that Buddhism teaches the art of living. "And NOBODY really teaches you the art of living, although within the Bible, there's the Ten Commandments. There's all sorts of ideas of how one should live in order to live a happy life. For me, the idea of cause-and-effect, which is a very fundamental principal within the Buddhist teaching and my Buddhist practice, it almost felt like what goes up must come down. So if you do good, you get good," he says.
Bloom finds himself in a publicized relationship with singer-songwriter Katy Perry. They hope to marry, he says. "We're engaged. We're doing a lot of work together on the foundation of a really solid relationship, so we're very aware _ because I'm 42 and she's in her mid-30s _ we're aware it's not the same as when you're younger.
"You really want to enter into something with a certain degree of respect and appreciation and gratitude and also an awareness that life is such that you need all the tools to help you navigate everything that's thrown at you. And it's important that you are with somebody you can roll up your sleeves and go, 'OK, we're going to do this. We're in it to win it.'"
'MAYANS' ROARS BACK
Pow! Bang! "Mayans MC" will be back with a roar on FX Sept. 3. The "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff continues with Season 2 and the first episode is filled with consequences.
Kurt Sutter, executive producer and creator of both shows, says he's not holding anything back for Season 2. "I learned this from Shawn Ryan (creator of "The Shield") _ which was if you have a good idea, you don't save it. And for me, the unraveling (was) ... a way that felt like the most organic and compelling way to tell this story. And if I start thinking about, 'Oh, OK, how do we parcel this out into other episodes?,' as far as our process goes, then it starts to feel like math instead of storytelling."
Sutter admits that "Mayans" is choked with violence. "It's all therapy for me," he shrugs. "You know, every f __ day I'm working s __ out, whether it's mommy s __ or Catholic s __ or other s __. Yeah. I mean, it's why we sort of do what we do. Look, it's not a coincidence that I'm drawn to damaged characters in very dark worlds, right? And that's where I tend to thrive creatively. And, yeah, the violence is part of that. The lethal force is part of that ... In that therapeutic process, I try to be as responsible as I can creatively."
JAY LENO OPENS HIS 'GARAGE' AGAIN
Jay Leno and his beaucoup cars will be returning with "Jay Leno's Garage" on CNBC Wednesday. At last count Leno admitted to accruing about 135 cars and 117 motorcycles, but that figure can change.
Leno explains how he manages to feature such posh vehicles on his series. "Well, usually when you do these kinds of car shows, and you get an expensive car, there is an insurance waiver," he says.
"And you can only drive it around the driveway, and you have to go around the cones and there are police protecting it. But since I own a lot of these cars, we can just beat the crap out of them. So you'll see them being used as intended. They're not all mine, but a lot of them are. So that ... I have the accessibility.
"The thing that restricts a lot of car shows is nobody wants to pay the waiver. For example, we had Steve McQueen's XJSS Jaguar, a very famous one, and the car is worth $60 million. So they wanted an insurance premium for the day. It was like $900,000. Well, OK. So that really doesn't work. But there are a lot of cars that have gone up in value and I've had for years, and we can use and abuse, and hopefully people will enjoy it."
NETWORK OFFERS A SMELL-A-VISION
TV has done everything it can to bring real-life into the living room of American fans. But it has never offered a chance to smell what you're watching. Next Monday Cozi TV will be featuring a Smell-a-Vision accompanying the "Dinner Party" episode from the American version of "The Office."
Viewers can order a card that will contain the various odors of the courses being served. Fans can request a card at the Cozi TV page on Facebook or at COZITV.com. The cards will be sent out by mail, so get your order in now if you want the joy of smelling osso bucco from your recliner.
Melora Hardin, who played Jan on the show, will be on hand to direct viewers through their smelling calisthenics. Hardin remembers when she tried out for the comedy series. "I auditioned for the pilot for 'The Office' as a guest and possible recurring character," she recalls.
"And I got the material the night before. It was funny. I had never seen the British show so I was kind of in the dark about it except I thought the material was wonderful and I loved the character. And I just hooked right in with it. I just GOT her. Sometimes characters you just get, they're like a second skin, you put them on and they're yours. Other times it's a struggle and you've got to search for it and find it. But she was just a second skin to me. So I went in and could feel in the room, I could feel the energy."
