(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Fri 21 November 2025 15:15, UK
Throughout his career, Orlando Bloom has appeared in some of the most popular franchises ever, but from a personal standpoint, he admires an understated performance in a classic drama.
When it comes to collecting popular film sagas like trading cards, Bloom has pretty much everyone else beat. Not only did he become a global star as a result of his breakout role as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but Bloom became a major part of Disney’s first major live-action franchise when he co-led the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. The Three Musketeers may not have spawned the franchise it was intended to, but Bloom was still asked to return as Legolas in the second two films in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, even though the character didn’t originally appear in the books.
Being that famous at such a young age is sure to colour someone’s expectations, but Bloom has managed to keep a pretty healthy perspective on the quality of his work. He regretted appearing in Troy because he wasn’t satisfied with his performance, and even admitted he’d rather have the career of his Pirates of the Caribbean co-star, Johnny Depp, who became known for making smaller, more personal films in between his major blockbuster roles.
It’s clearly cinematic quality, and not box office returns, that matter to Bloom, which is why his all-time favourite performance is from a sombre, emotionally overwhelming crime drama. In an interview with Backstage, Bloom revealed that Marlon Brando’s performance in the ‘Best Picture’-winning classic On the Waterfront was something he felt every young actor should see.
Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, 1954. (Credits: Far Out / Columbia Pictures)
“It’s just a seamless performance,” Bloom told the outlet. “He’s so dynamic. It’s one of my favorite performances of all time.”
Brando may be best known among younger cinephiles for his role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather, but his performance in Francis Ford Coppola’s crime masterpiece was considered to be a comeback after a downward period. Brando first popped up on the New York theatre scene with his performance in A Streetcar Named Desire, which led him to star in the play’s film adaptation, directed by Elia Kazan.
A Streetcar Named Desire was unlike anything film audiences had seen at the time because Brando brought the same intensity and intimacy of stage performance to his role onscreen. While A Streetcar Named Desire had the benefit of popular source material, On the Waterfront was an even more impressive feat because it was only loosely inspired by a series of articles for the New York Sun.
Anyone who’s watched Brando in the role would probably back Bloom’s take – it really is “seamless”. He disappears completely into Terry Malloy, a washed-up boxer whose life’s gone off the rails after throwing a fight for the mob. It’s a heavy film, full of internal struggles and outside pressure, but Brando still manages to be charismatic, even funny at times. No wonder Bloom called him “so dynamic”.
Bloom’s star power may have faded after the disastrous critical reaction to films like Elizabethtown, but he’s steadily been putting in the work to be taken seriously again. Like Brando, Bloom took to the stage in order to hone his craft, as he starred in stage productions of Romeo & Juliet and Killer Joe. His latest film, Deep Cover, saw him playing a meticulous actor who utilises the same “method” techniques that Brando was known for.
Could Bloom mount a Brando-esque comeback? It’s always possible. If Brando managed to launch a late-career resurgence, then Bloom might be able to match his idol.
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