Chances are, the first time you noticed Orlando Bloom was when you saw him playing a cool little Elf in the Lord Of The Rings. Here's a little information about our favorite guy in leggings.

Legolas is an Elf prince from the forest kingdom of Mirkwood. His name means "Green Leaves", hence his alias, Greenleaf. He traveled to Rivendell to represent his father, Thranduil, The King of Mirkwood, at the Council of Elrond. Legolas became a member of the Fellowship of the Ring after vowing to protect Frodo in his quest, through the power of his bow. After the War of the Ring, Legolas travels with Gimli the Dwarf, with whom he remains life-long friends with. Being an Elf, Legolas is immortal. He cannot die from disease or old age, but he can be killed in battle or die of a broken heart. His age is estimated at 2,931! Other Elf qualities that Legolas possesses are quick reflexes and heightened senses, such as excellent hearing and keen eye sight. He also moves with agility and grace and is light-footed, walking on top of the snow, instead of stepping down into it, as seen in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Quotes about Legolas:

"fair of face beyond the measure of Men" and "has bright elven-eyes with his long slender hand". - J.R.R Tolkien

"Orlando wears a long, blond-plaited wig and gelatin Elf ears, as well as some gorgeous embroidered art nouveau-inspired Elf garb and some fetching knee-high lace-up boots. The actor has undergone extensive physical and fight training for his role as the warrior prince, whom he describes as having the "grace and menace of a giant cat." - From Force of Hobbit at E! Online

"Legolas doesn't speak a lot--he prefers to let his actions speak for him." - Orlando Bloom

"Initially, he can't stand Gimli the dwarf. Elves see dwarfs as these muddy creatures who steal from the Earth without giving anything back. But their relationship develops, partially through having to rely on each other. They grow to respect each other's differences. By the time they go into battle, they're having a laugh, comparing their battle scores." - Orlando Bloom.

"To have been given the opportunity to portray someone like Legolas was exciting and terrifying at the same time, because he is so far beyond any being that you could imagine. Elves have super-human strength, reflex speed, and sensory awareness. They’re these incredible angelic spirits, who create and appreciate great beauty." - Orlando Bloom

Information about Orlando as Legolas:

• To commemorate an experience of a lifetime, the 9 actors in the Fellowship each got a tattoo of the word "nine" in Elvish. Orlando's is on his right forearm. - "It was designed by Alan Lee, who illustrated all of the Lord of the Rings books. It's in Elvish script, and it's the word for nine. We all chose to put them in different places. I got mine on my forearm, because I'm an archer."
• Orlando endured a 2 hour make-up session every morning.
• He shaved his hair into a mohawk to lift his hairline to that of an Elves, and so that his wig would fit better.
• He wore blue contact lenses.
• Orlando arrived in New Zealand 2 months before filming began so that he could prepare physically for his role. He also learned the Elvish language a month before filming. Orlando had to learn archery, how to ride a horse bareback (while shooting an arrow), and how to fight and wield two swords. "I started off with archery, I rode about 20 different horses, I had physical training in the gym, and I had to learn the Elvish ways of speaking and fighting. Their fighting is based on ancient European and Asian martial arts, so I had a trainer who taught me how to use the blades. I also did a lot of movement training, because movement is my way into the character." - SFX Magazine
• He originally auditioned for Lord of the Rings in the part of Faramir, Boromir's brother, who wouldn't be introduced until The Two Towers. He was turned down for that part, but was then asked to audition for Legolas. He learned that he got the part the day before he graduated from Guildhall.
• Peter Jackson has said that they tried to cast "the most perfect human beings" they could find for the elves. That's a compliment and a half.

Links
More Information about Legolas
LOTR video and sound clips
Legolas Paper Doll
Legolas Screen Savers
How to Speak Elvish
Elvish Costume Site
How to make Legolas and Elf braids
Movie Scripts
Download Elvish Fonts
Get your own Elf name
Mirror of Galadriel Game