When
Orlando Bloom was first approached about a role in
"Ned Kelly", he had heard of the famous
Australian outlaw, but knew very little about the story.
Best known for his role as Legolas the elf in
"The Lord of the Rings", the young actor was
initially under the impression that the Kelly Gang was a
bunch of young guys travelling around, shooting guns and
generally causing havoc. He soon discovered there was
much more to the story.
"It was for a purpose,
because they felt hard done by, they felt they were
being persecuted unjustly," says Bloom. "That sounded to
me to be something I'd like to be involved
in.
"The story of Ned Kelly is kind of like a
Western, but at the same time it's not at all, because
it's Australian, and Irish. There's this whole mellow
kind of Australian bushranger thing. It's mad and they
are crazy. It's kind of cool and exciting to get inside
those characters. It's a fun story to be involved
in."
When he received the script, Bloom was asked
to consider the roles of both Joe Byrne, Ned Kelly's
best friend and first lieutenant in the gang, and Steve
Hart, the best friend of Dan Kelly and fourth member of
the gang.
"I was immediately drawn to Joe," he
says. "He was Ned's right hand man, he'd live and die
for the loyalty of his friends and particularly for Ned.
He'd follow him to hell and back and I just felt that
was something that I could work with, embellish, and
make a strong character.
"Joe was very deliberate
in his thought and action. He actually transcribed the
Jerilderie letter for Ned... he's softly spoken in a way
- he wouldn't say anything unless it needs to be said
and he's kind of Ned's calm, in a way. I liked the idea
of that. I just felt that it would be a good contrast to
Ned."
Aside from the script, Bloom also looked
into the true story behind the Kelly Gang to learn more
about his character.
"There are so many different
books and so many different stories. There are fictional
stories and factual information - I basically took
pieces of information that would help me, so that I
could develop and build a character around that, like
the way the police described Joe Byrne. He was described
as a poet, and quite a thinker, he was the most educated
of the gang, but a dangerous man at the same time. He
wasn't afraid to kill somebody through loyalty to Ned,
the gang, and what he believed in."
Although Ned
Kelly is little-known outside Australia, Bloom believes
international audiences will warm to the incredible
story of the outlaw. "I think the themes of the story -
camaraderie, loyalty, friendship, and standing up for
what you believe in - these are all themes that an
audience can relate to." | |
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The film’s armourers were granted
access to the Kelly Gang’s original suits of armour in
order to make authentic replicas |
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Orlando Bloom on set with director Gregor
Jordan |
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