After two weeks in Australia delighting fans of his Lord of The Rings movies at the Comic-Con conventions in Sydney and Brisbane, Orlando Bloom was flying out today and I was picked as part of his farewell team to raise a glass of champagne and catch up with the star for a final chat before he headed for Los Angeles.
This was no chance encounter of course, but a highly choreographed meet and greet, for Orlando is a BA Ambassador, which probably means he gets to fly first class pretty regularly. To be fair it’s a connection he claims started when he was a child in England flying the national airline all the time.
“As a kid I remember how excited I was when I got to meet the Captain of my first plane ride,” Orlando said. “I remember being mesmerised by the cockpit and controls.” Today he got to do that all over again as he posed for a bunch of set up photos.
The star’s connection with our land is largely his ex, supermodel Miranda Kerr, and former resident of Gunnedah. Together the couple have a son Flynn, now 3, who Orlando shares custody of and is frequently on planes with.
When asked the secret to flying with young kids, Orlando quips “Prayers…”; adding “I’ve been very lucky as my son has travelled quite a lot since he was a baby. We always have a few games and toys to keep him occupied. And it’s probably one of the only times when I say it’s okay for an iPad to come out, even just for a little time.”
Sydney he says is “like a home away from home”.
“I love being in Australia. I’ve got family and friends here. I was coming quite frequently a couple of years ago, now it’s once or twice a year. And it’s a great location. I like to get in the ocean and get outdoors.”
Like all film stars, he’s shorter in real life, but smooth, charming and decidedly well-groomed. The 37-year-old has mastered dress down chic to a tee today in jeans and a cool jacket and denim shirt and seems perfectly at ease wandering around chatting to folk. At the Comic-Com Festival he says he relished the chance to meet his fans.
“As somebody who doesn’t do social media – I don’t have Facebook – it’s really rare that I get the chance to connect with my fans so directly and I found it fantastic. There’s so many passionate creative people who are just gathered to celebrate our films.”
What’s the problem with social media? “I never really engaged with it” he says, which is probably why we were banned from taking any selfies today.
And with that he’s off – no chance to talk about Miranda, his friendship with Erica Packer, even new projects. Oh, but there was one last thing. Tips for plane travel? “A scarf, you never know when it’s going to turn chilly,” shared Orlando. So wise…
