When it comes to the best war movies, few come close to the intensity of Black Hawk Down. Inspired by the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, Ridley Scott’s star-studded thriller follows a group of elite soldiers as they find themselves in a brutal fight for survival after a mission goes awry. Based on what cast member Orlando Bloom has said, making the movie wasn’t for the faint of heart.
Recently, the Lord of the Rings star opened up about playing Todd Blackburn in one of his first major film roles. During an appearance at Fan Expo Chicago 2025 (via EW), he said the experience "was like from the frying pan into the fire" and that he was "being ordered around and screamed at” before filming even began. In fact, the actor spared few details when talking about what it took to be a part of Black Hawk Down.
