Werner Herzog predicts big things for Orlando Bloom
Werner Herzog believes his Bucking Fastard star Orlando Bloom is entering a "beautiful" new stage in his career.
Werner Herzog believes Orlando Bloom is entering a "beautiful" new stage in his career.
The 84-year-old filmmaker worked with the Pirates of the Caribbean star on his new movie Bucking Fastard - in which Orlando plays the titular character, a charmer who becomes romantically involved with both Rooney and Kate Mara's characters, Joan and Jean Holbrooke - and he is "very, very curious" to see what the actor does next.
Speaking at the San Sebastian Film Festival, Variety reports Werner recalled telling Orlando: “You have to step into a new arena, play different parts."
He asked the star to grow a beard and make his character more "manly".
He added: “It had to be distinct, a new terrain. It is a very interesting transition, and I will keep an eye on what [Bloom is] doing in the future.
“When I look at Orlando’s career, he’s famous everywhere in the world, but a part of how he’s now navigating what is coming at him, I have the feeling that time is on his side, so wait for what’s coming,” he continued. “I am very, very curious. There will be beautiful stuff coming from him. I am totally convinced.”
Meanwhile, Orlando, 49, hailed working with the director a "bucket-list item".
He added: “What I love about Bucking Fastard is that it refuses to judge its characters and offer any kind of easy answers. That is something that Werner focused on.
"It was wonderful to work with Kate and Rooney; I’ve been a long admirer of both of them. We had a lot of fun in Dublin.
"It was a great experience and certainly a bucket-list opportunity to work with someone like Werner and such a phenomenal cast.”
The pair also discussed a threesome scene in the movie, with the director admitting it wasn't a moment where he could "give instructions" to his cast.
He said: “There are moments when a director has to step back. In the love scene, I said to Orlando: ‘You are in bed, and you have two women in your arms. How you deal with it, I cannot give instructions.’ It is beautiful because it has such charm and depth.”
Orlando added: "There is such simplicity to the characters and [their] carnal desires, but also an innocence to the sisters.
“My character, the Bucking Fastard, is sensitive too. And he’s quite quickly out of his depth in some ways. It was a very sincere sort of moment that was created.”
Meanwhile, Werner noted he is currently writing two books and working on other scripts and is just days away from finishing his next project.
He said: “Three days, and I’ll have my next film finished. On Monday, I am back to work.”
