In Troy, he is the handsome Paris, the cause of the scandal. In real life, he remains down to earth, even though he is today's "hot boy", the gorgeous hunk that both directors and girls dream of. His name means success. Few actors have achieved such a status that fast!

The interview was supposed to take place in Morocco, in the heart of the desert, where he is shooting 'Kingdom of Heaven', the colossal Ridley Scott project on crusades. He finally got his first leading role in it and he has been a nervous wreck for two months after he realized what a huge responsibility that was.

Warner got him to sign a contract to ensure the promotion of another blockbuster he just finished, 'Troy'. It will then be on a rare day off that he will perform his duty.

Behind the scenes, Warner and Fox both organized and planned between shoots and marketing obligations. Finally the solution came from Ridley Scott who had to go to London and simply took the actor along. On the 24 hours that OB stays in London, his city, he will spend 7 in a hotel room talking about Troy, even though he has not yet seen the movie since Wolfgang Petersen is still working on it a few weeks before the final release.

It is in this hotel room that the young actor answers my questions, sipping a cup of tea and hiding his exhaustion behind a bright smile.

It seems he is more exhausted from the responsibility of his new part, the weight of 'Troy', the consequences of his celebrity after he played an Elf in LOTR and above all, the success of 'Pirates' than from the travel.

It was not long ago that he gave his first round of interviews in Cannes for LOTR. After a quick peck on the cheek and a polite 'Do you want anything to drink?', he sits down again. On his knees, pages of notes...

I see you prepared for the interview... OB Laughs

Is it a briefing on the movie?

OB- No, er... well yes... These are notes I took to get back to Paris' world. 'Troy' is such a great project, the story background is huge. To be honest, it is very intimidating for me. It is a huge responsibility to explain the motives for the Troy War. I wanted to be sure about the themes of the movies and what they mean to me. Plus, I have been shooting the Ridley Scott movie in Morocco for two months and I must confess it is not easy going from one to the other. Balian, my character is completely different from Paris. It's weird going back to... juggling between the two.

Do you feel at ease with promotion?

OB- It's in my contract. I'd rather rest. Just a little. (laughs) I work very hard on 'Kingdom of Heaven' and I would have put my days off to good use but the promotional imperatives required the interviews to be done now. When you make a movie, you know you're gonna have to promote it because you want people to see it!

You have lots of propositions. How do you consider your position today?

OB- I feel privileged. And I don't want to sound spoiled. I am actually really happy to be here today to talk about Wolfgang's movie. To tell you the truth, I am genuinely glad to be a part of Troy's cast.

What drew you to the movie?

OB- Several things. The scope of the project, the personality of the director, the cast, and above all, since it is that which attract talents, the quality of David Benioff script. He is a peculiar writer and he did a great job on this story which is a real epic. His script was really different from those I had seen up to now. When I read it, I felt it was gonna be terrific.

At which point of the casting process did you become part of the adventure?

OB- When I auditioned for WP in London, I had just finished 'Calcium Kid' and I was about to start shooting 'Pirates' . I knew that Brad Pitt was gonna play Achilles and that Eric Bana would be Hector. It weighed tremendously on my decision because the story is about their confrontation above all. I remember I thought that with such a cast, that movie would be the beginning of stardom for me. I was far from imagining 'Pirates' would be so successful!

What do you think of having been chosen to play a character that is described as 'divinely beautiful'?

OB- Wait til you see Diane Kruger and you will see I don't have to worry about being the 'beauty element' of the story because in this category she definitely gets the title!

Did you read the original text by Homer?

OB- I knew about the story, like many people... the kidnapping of Helen, the siege of Troy, the horse... During my studies, I took literature classes but we just brushed up on the book. I must admit it's very hard to read! There are so many characters, secondary stories... To be able to capture the intensity of Homer's poetry, I listened to an audio book CD.

How can this story written 3.000 years ago impact on people today?

OB- I found out that behind the mythological element, there is an intrigue about politics and society that are still very real. Agamemnon, the Greek king is motivated by power. The only thing he wants is a larger kingdom. His brother Menelas, the Spartan king gives him the excuse he needs when he asks for his help in taking back his wife Helen who was kidnapped by Paris. Achilles is after glory. He is a great warrior but he wants to be part of History, he hopes to achieve a 'semi-god' status like Hercules before him.

What about Paris?

OB- He is the cause of it all. He represents the wildness of youth. He does things without thinking about the consequences of his acts. He takes the most beautiful woman in the world and it starts the most horrific war of all times. He was not born to be king. His older brother Hector is the leader, the wise man. Paris cannot compete and he doesn't try to! He is a sensitive guy who enjoys life and women... he's always been protected. He doesn't even know how to wield a sword... his weapon is the bow!

Like Legolas!

OB- Except at that time, archery was sports. Paris doesn't have much in common with the graceful and cool Elf Prince. He is a coward!

Until now, you've always played men of honor. Why did you go against this image?

OB- Exactly because I had never played this kind of character before. I instantly felt that it was a special part. There's something very dark about Paris. He doesn't lack courage but he has no willpower, he is lead by his passion. His brother's ashamed. In a brief moment of self-respect, he accepts a fight with Menelas who is twice his size but he can't go through with it. He begs his brother to save him and flees. It is rather pathetic. He is unable to die honorably like a Prince should. This scene was hard for me. The humiliation of Paris kept me awake at night.

How did you prepare for the part?

OB- It was a challenge. I had to go deep inside myself to get this character who is so different from his peers. I had to be able to sympathize with him so that the audience would feel for him. To flee, before the woman he loves, that he stole from another man, before his brother, his father, the city of Troy is pretty hard to swallow.

Can you define the Petersen method?

OB- He is a fantastic director! His filmography speaks for itself. he is able to transform big productions into great films. On set, he is the boss and you can feel that. he knows what he wants and how to get it. I was rather intimidated by him. He sometimes made me nervous. At the same time, we had a lot of fun because he had a great sense of humor.

What will you remember most?

OB- The honor of being part of such an ensemble. I really felt we were shooting one for History. The size of the sets, the crew, the crowd of extras... I felt rather small.

Smaller than during the shooting of LOTR?

OB- Yes. Strangely, because of PJ's way of directing, it felt much 'smaller'. We were all so close, it felt like shooting a home movie! Of course, LOTR is a great film by so many aspects!

You have lots of projects. What are you going to do after Kingdom of Heaven?

OB- I'm far from finished with this movie! (laughs) I don't even know if I will be able to go to Cannes. It's a fascinating story with Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons and French actress Evan Green. I saw her in Bertolucci's movie and she was great!

Could you do a movie as risque as this?

OB- I don't think so. Maybe I would have, a few years ago. I'm not really comfortable with the idea of walking around butt naked! (laughs) But I really loved the film!

Let's get back to your projects. You are about to shoot the sequel for 'Pirates'. How come you shoot so many period pieces?

OB- I don't know. I love to go back in time! But I don't go 'Yea! a period piece! Where do I sign?' Plus, I always have to learn things that are completely useless in everyday life. What would I look like walking around with a bow in the street? I have a more contemporary project though: Elizabethtown by Cameron Crowe.

There are rumours about you playing the lead in the onscreen adaptation of the cult book 'The Perfume' by Suskind that Tom Tykwer is about to direct.

OB- maybe! I did meet with the director. I love his work but nothing's signed right now. I haven't even read the script.

Do you dream of a career like Brad Pitt's?

OB- Totally! Even if we don't really have a scene together, it was an honor to be part of an ensemble with a movie icon like him! Before the shooting, we had lunch with the whole team to get to know each other better. I was really impressed, especially considering there were lots of fans in the street waiting for him when we got out of the restaurant! He takes risks and trusts unknown directors, not hesitating to go against his image. He is an incredible actor, he gives so much humanity to his characters, even when playing a madman like in 12 monkeys, one of my fave movies. He is like that in real life, he stands firmly on the ground, even if he is really famous! He is a role model.

Among the cast of LOTR, you are the only one who really saw his career change. How do you manage it? Are they jealous?

OB- No, they're not jealous. Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan came to visit me when I was shooting Troy in Mexico. We went surfing like old times in NZ... I have a lifelasting bond with the cast of LOTR. I was just in the right place at the right time. Each actor follows his own path, professionally and personally.

Diane Kruger - The Journal of Troy, Studio (France), May 2004

Orlando Interview, Total Stars (France), May-June 2004