Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Orlando Bloom interview
Interview by Rob Carnevale
ORLANDO Bloom talks about returning to the role of Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest…
Q. What was it like to be able to go back and take on these characters again?
Orlando: It was good for me. The introduction of Bootstrap Bill Turner as my father was a really great new dynamic for me. It gave me this double dilemma – trying to end up with the girl that I love while saving my dad from a fate worse than death so that he won’t be condemned to Davy Jones’ crew at the bottom of the ocean.
Q. Given the gap of two years in between filming, how hard was it to get back into shape and get costumed up again?
A. Well I actually felt kind of relaxed about it and I also get a pair of pirate boots this time which was definitely an advantage over the shoe and stocking routine in the first film! I felt much more relaxed. I felt really comfortable knowing that Gore [Verbinksi] was at the helm. We all get along, we all know each other really well and we were shooting in the Caribbean, which was great!
Q. What was the most difficult scene to do with a sword?
A. I tell you, the three-way sword-fight was an absolute bastard to shoot. It took about two and a half weeks for that moment. It’s a nice scene in the movie but the way they actually shot it, we had a giant wheel that we were all in and then on top of. They had a giant blue screen behind that was attached to the back of a truck that was being driven down the hill. There were also a lot of wires on top, so a lot went into that sequence.
Q. How did you keep a straight face during some of your funnier scenes in the film, especially with Johnny Depp?
A. Don’t look at Johnny!
Q. The film is based on a theme park ride. Were there any moments during filming that felt like a theme park experience to you?
A. For me, the sequence inside the bone cage certainly was. That’s the one where we’re hanging in the middle of the cliffs. We actually were inside the bone cage which was hanging from a wire attached to a crane. They wrenched it up but we weren’t told what was going to happen because Gore wanted to get a real reaction on the first shot, so they just dropped the cage. Everyone’s stomachs left, I think a couple of people threw up, so it was terrifying and very much like being on a theme park ride.
Q. Have you been on the actual Pirates of the Caribbean ride?
A. I have. It’s actually really good, they’ve got Johnny come up three times. It’s funny, though, because I went on the ride after the first Pirates premiere and kind of went: “Wow, this really isn’t that exciting.” But you can sort of see how probably grandparents take their grandchildren, so it’s gone on for generations and it’s part of the establishment, which is where the success of the movie came from. But the new part [of the ride] is quite good and I think I will definitely be pushing for Keira and I to be part of it.
Q. Which scenes were the most fun to shoot?
A. I had fun doing the Errol Flynn bits. A movie set is quite a controlled environment so you can kind of be a big kid – especially on a pirate movie – and do all of that mad stuff and know that you have wires and people watching you.
Q. Which of your characters do you prefer out of Legolas or Will Turner?
A. [Laughs] I have such fond memories of being in New Zealand and working on The Lord of the Rings. It was my first big film and it has a special place in my heart. But Will is more me than Legolas. I enjoy playing Will and he’s developing nicely. I think that the writers are doing such a great job in evolving the characters for all of us.
Q. What do you make of Keith Richards joining you for the third film?
A. Well if he doesn’t kill himself falling out of a tree it’ll be great. I’m actually not in any of the scenes he’s in but I’ll definitely be on the set that day.
Q. How surprised were you when you actually saw the kraken on screen?
A. I was more surprised when I saw it release over Johnny. Actually very surprised because it was just a model. They actually had a boat that was broken in half for the sequence where the two giant tentacles come up out of the ocean and then slam down on it. But filming that sequence was weird because I’d be standing on top of the mast stabbing at the air and stuff and then swinging around on this big ship. It was a crazy sequence because Gore would keep saying it [the tentacle]‘s going to come from there and you just hoped that it would be as terrifying as your actions needed to look like it was going to be.
Q. What’s it like going up against your girlfriend, Kate Bosworth, in two of the summer’s biggest films [Dead Man’s Chest and Superman Returns]?
A. It’s great. I’m really excited about both films. They’re totally different really and hopefully they’ll both do well. But it’s not like we talk about the numbers or anything like that.