Benedict Cumberbatch, Kate Winslet, Jason Statham: Stars Who Narrowly Escaped Death

Orlando Bloom’s Fall and Spinal Injury Before his fame as Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean, Orlando Bloom experienced a devastating fall. He fell three stories (a typo in the original source likely meant feet, but the text says stories) from a roof terrace, severely injuring his spine and facing the possibility of permanent paralysis. How did this event reshape the actor?

Bloom’s Changed Perspective on Life In a 2005 GQ interview, Bloom reflected on the accident’s impact. “Until then, I didn’t have a healthy appreciation for life and death—that we’re not invincible,” he said. “And for four days, I faced the idea of living in a wheelchair…  I went to some dark places in my mind. I realized, I’m either going to walk again or I’m not”.