ORLANDO BLOOM  


Sticking strange pointy ears on him didn't fool us for a minute - Orlando Bloom is one gorgeous elf. Cast as valiant warrior and Elf Legolas Greenleaf in the phenomenal Lord of the Rings trilogy, the British new comer is creating a buzz as far-reaching as the fantasy film's hold on the box-office. As lucky as he is dashing, this 24-year-old-actor won the role of Legolas two days before he graduated from drama school. New Zealand was the next stop - 18-month shoot to complete the fantasy trilogy, which will be released at one-year intervals. Those who can't bear the arduous wait can get their fill of Orlando in current war drama Black Hawk Down, where the Brit swaps his Canterbury-bred accent for an American drawl to play a US army ranger (fellow rangers include Ewan McGregor and Josh Hartnett). Equally arresting as a 2,931-year-old elf or greased-up army boy, Orlando has Next Big Thing tattooed all over his beautiful forehead - and an acting career filled with more exciting surprises than Middle Earth