He was born in Canterbury, England. Although he carries the name of novelist and political activist, Harry Bloom, Orlando's biological father is actually Colin Stone, a reported friend of the family. Orlando was reportedly named after the 17th century composer Orlando Gibbons and is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He made his film debut in 1997 in Wilde, opposite Stephen Fry. Shortly afterwards, he was seriously injured in a fall, and it was briefly feared that he would never walk again, but he made a complete recovery. In 2004, Orlando was named People magazine's hottest bachelor in the magazine's annual list of Hollywood bachelors.