Orlando Bloom, star of the blockbuster franchises Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as the upcoming movie The Three Musketeers, covers the October issue of Men’s Health (on newsstands Sept 13) and opens up about defeating his doubts, or “mind critters,” on his frequent mountain biking trips through the hills of California, and how he will never stop taking risks: “I can’t stop living. It would ruin my creativity, the person I am.”
How he deals with his moments of doubt… “I call [doubts] my mind critters. Can I defeat myself? I really like going downhill on a mountain bike, and if I just feather the front brake and let it roll, I’m fine. But if I’m not in that zone and I clutch that brake, boom, I’m over the handlebars. Or worse.”
His wild reason for staying safe while he mountain bikes… “I pad up. I estimate it’s saved me tens of thousands of dollars in medical fees. I do fly quite close to the wind.”
Orlando on fear… “Fear is not a friend of mine. But it’s something to have a healthy awareness of.”
Taking risks is part of his success … “I can’t stop living. It would ruin my creativity, the person I am.”
Success vs. greatness…“To an untrained eye, yes, success is what people aspire to, and only success. The thing is, success can allow you to try for greatness, can give you an opportunity to take a chance on something. I’m very blessed to have the success that I’ve had, and that’s given me so many opportunities to work on being great.”
Why he likes creating larger-than-life, escapist movies for the masses… “People want to step out of the everyday routine of their lives and enter another world where they can go ‘wow.’ Believing you’re something that you’re not excites the mind and the imagination. And it’s hopeful. As you clock out the years and life moves on, you look around and ask, ‘What’s new? What’s exciting?’ We’re born, we’ll grow old, we’re going to die, that’s the only thing we know for sure. How can I spice up my life in the meantime?”
Fencing is great because…“I love swordplay. It’s a mental and physical challenge. It can also be balletic and dancelike.”
Orlando on living big within our own lives… “Grateful for the last…looking forward to the next.”
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