‘Orlando Bloom: To the Edge’: How a Major Childhood Accident Led to Adrenaline-Packed Docuseries

“I never feel so alive as being so close to death,” Orlando Bloom confesses in the first of the three-part adventure series Orlando Bloom: To the Edge. To get that thrill, the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean movie star tries out some very risky sports. “A big part of doing all of this is so I can be on that edge…but safely.”

Supporting from the ground is Bloom’s wife, Katy Perry. His childhood BFF Kris Gifford, who was at his side during a youthful accident that could have paralyzed the actor, also joins in. “Growing up, I was addicted to the adrenaline rush and never thought about the consequences,” Bloom admits.

Kicking off his trilogy of terror is wingsuiting—skydiving in a special jumpsuit that adds lift so you can glide longer before opening your chute. The goal: fly three miles over the Pacific Ocean and land on the beach. Bloom must conquer, as he puts it, the “thousand what-ifs rushing through my mind.”

After, he heads to the Bahamas’ 663-foot-deep Dean’s Blue Hole. His aim: freedive (plunge deep on one breath) to 100 feet. His teacher is 26-year-old Camila Jaber, Mexico’s record holder (82 meters, or 269 feet). Bloom had been practicing his breathing, but a session on the beach brings him to tears. “It was a minefield of trying to let go and being comfortable with the discomfort.”

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Orlando Bloom: To the Edge premieres Thursday, April 18 on Peacock with all three episodes. Each episode clocks in at one hour long.

Helping create the wild ride are Bloom, Adam Karasick, Al Berman, Robert Simonds, Noah Fogelson, Jason Goldberg, and Scott Weintrob as executive producers, with Matthew Akers, Jamie Bovshow, and Susan Hoenig as co-executive producers. The series is produced by STX Television and Amazing Owl.

Orlando Bloom: To the Edge, Series Premiere Thursday, April 18, Peacock