As you've all been pointing out, Orlando Bloom is an apparently odd case, a fey action hero. In Pirates of the Caribbean he has an Erroll Flynn dash, so I'd compare him to Erroll Flylnn and not Russell Crowe, who's a strong actor and has a macho personality (Romper Stomper) but is no great shakes in the looks dept.; Bloom was good with Keith Ledger in Ned Kelly. Tony Jaa of Ong Bak: Thai Warrior is kind of fey too. It is possible. Anyway, Bloom could always beef up. He hs the classic romantic good looks, and that's the important thing. And he's English.
Can Bloom act? Doubtful. Can he do romantic comedy up to the level of fellow Black Hawk alum Josh Hartnett? Uncertain. But Hollywood thinks he looks good in tights, so he's up there. Niven lacked the hard edge to be an non-spoof Bond, though he had the sophistication. Bloom doesn't project the sophistication or the hard edge, so I can't see him as Bond at all. Clive Owen would be a most excellent Bond. I don't think anybody wants to be a Russell Crowe type. Even Russell Crowe mightn't mind being a different type, but he's stuck with being the way he is. They'd just want to be as good an actor and as powerful a physical presence as Crowe.
I guess I'll go re-watch The Bourne Identity. Now there's an actor who looks like a Forties movie hotel busboy, yet he can act, and he's not a bad action hero. Times change.
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