Orlando Bloom’s daily practice for peace amid fame and pressure
Actor Orlando Bloom discusses how his practice of Nichiren Buddhism has provided him with direction, resilience, and a sense of personal responsibility throughout his career. He reflects on how the philosophy helped him navigate the pressures of fame and recover from a life-changing back injury at age 21.
Why it matters
It offers a human-interest perspective on how celebrities utilize spiritual practices to manage mental health and professional challenges.
Actor Orlando Bloom is spiritually inclined and has often spoken about how practising Nichiren Buddhism shaped both his personal life and acting career.The The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean star has been a member of Soka Gakkai for many years.In an interview on the Buddhability podcast, produced by SGI-USA, the actor said the practice gave him a sense of direction when he was starting out as an actor.Started Buddhism at 16Bloom eft home at the age of 16 to attend drama school in London. While preparing for a sculpture exam, he met an art teacher who was a Soka Gakkai member.He recalled hearing the teacher chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" in another room and asking what he was doing."He replied, 'Well, I am chanting that you're going do really well in your exams. You're going to have a really successful life.' I asked, 'Well, will it help?'
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in