‘ Dude, the pioneers. How did they do it?’ Bloom asks dog

T H E T W O - M I N U T E I N T E R V I E W

Orlando Bloom discovered the heartland of America while shooting Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown, which opens tomorrow. “ As a Brit, I’ve experienced New York, Los Angeles, and Miami,” says the 28-year-old. But after shooting at locations in Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas, “I now know what the heartland means and what Southern hospitality means, and that people really do bake turkeys and cakes and bring them to you to share.” Even more memorable was the road trip he took with his dog after the movie wrapped. He travelled from Nebraska to California, stopping occasionally along the way. And when he got to the Rockies he told his dog, “ ‘ Dude, the pioneers. How did they do it?’ I was intimidated driving through the mountains in my car. I have a whole new respect for them because they did it with a horse and cart and no roads.” He has

another memory. This one during a

break from filming, when Crowe

and Bloom stopped at a Kentucky

gas station where the born-again gas

jockey gave a little sermon to Bloom

and Crowe while he filled up the tank. Apparently Crowe couldn’t resist, reports Bloom. “So Cameron says to the guy ‘Have you seen Lord of the Rings?’ The guy said, ‘ No.’ Pirates of the Caribbean? ‘ No.’ Cameron keeps going, saying, ‘ Well anyway, he’s an actor and he works in Hollywood.’ And the guy goes, ‘ Well, if he’s from Hollywood, he really does need his soul saved.’ ”