Orlando Bloom Puts Himself in Danger for New TV Series
Orlando Bloom wanted to test himself for his latest adventure project. Not by eating something gross or visiting a new country. He wanted to risk death — with not one but three extreme sports.
The Peacock series Orlando Bloom: To the Edge sees the Pirates of the Caribbean star shoot through the sky thousands of feet above the ground, dive into a deep sinkhole and rock climb hundreds of feet.
"While I was at moments scared for my life during the show, having come out the other end of it I feel way more capable," Bloom tells The Associated Press.
The series was born from the pandemic, which made outside adventures even more alluring. It met the perfect host in a man who is a natural risk-taker.
First up was wingsuiting — skydiving in a special jumpsuit that adds lift so you can glide longer before opening your parachute. Bloom's goal was to jump out of a plane at 3,962 meters, fly 4.8 kilometers over the Pacific Ocean and land on the beach.
Then he heads to the Bahamas, to a 202-meter-deep hole in the ocean, with the aim of plunging to 30.5 meters on just one breath. After that, it's off to Utah to climb a 122-meter tower and stand on a summit the size of a pizza box.
"We all experience fear. It's how we face this fear that defines us," Bloom says in the first episode. "I never feel so alive being so close to death."
Bloom credits his instructors for their patience, expertise and teaching him to trust them and their gear. He hopes viewers will watch to see his remarkable feats and be inspired to get outside their comfort zones, be it perhaps by managing public speaking or learning a new language.
"For me, the idea of the show was like, 'Well, what is it for you?'" he asks. "What is your version of jumping out of a plane? It doesn't have to be physical or death defying in some form or another."
