Orlando opened up about getting military experience while making the 2001's war film, Black Hawk Down.
Inspired by real-life events of the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993, Black Hawk Down follows 160 elite U.S. soldiers who are dropped into the country to capture an enemy warlord's two top lieutenants, but instead find themselves in a desperate battle with a contingent of armed Somalis.
While speaking at Fan Expo Chicago 2025, Bloom told the audience that for him, as a new actor, the experience "was like from the frying pan into the fire" and involved a lot of "being ordered around and screamed at."
The Troy actor noted that the film's producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Ridley Scott "don't do anything in half measures" which is why the experience was "pretty epic" but also brutal.
"We went to Fort Benning. It was so brutal. I mean it was like, I think I almost tore I slightly tore my meniscus in my knee, but I managed to strap it and get through it," he shared.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor also recalled how fellow actor Ben Foster got seriously injured and lost his role.
"I think Ben properly tore his groin muscle, because everyone was really trying to go for it. And I think he had to be recast, so that was really serious."
He continued, "Yeah, it was intense. We were in the bunks and being ordered around and screamed at and yelled at, and really it was an intense thing."
Despite the excruciating experience, Bloom admitted that he still loves the films and gushed, "I'm very proud and the soundtrack to that movie is awesome."
The star-studded cast also includes Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, Jason Isaacs, Sam Shepard, Jeremy Piven, Ioan Gruffudd, Ewen Bremner, Hugh Dancy, and Tom Hardy.