Here's Orlando Bloom as you've never seen him before.

The 26-year-old has grown a beard to play an Irish outlaw in his next film Ned Kelly.

The movie is shot in the wilds of the Australian outback, where much of the action happens on horseback.

And Orli, who stars alongside Heath Ledger, told Empire magazine they had spent their time down under "shooting guns, riding round and having fun".

The heart-throb said he wanted to be in a film with a smaller cast than the Lord of the Rings trilogy so he could take on more responsibility.

Although he was not yet ready for a leading role!

Orli added that real-life outlaw Ned Kelly was a hero to many Aussies.

And the movie would "stand the test of time because it is a piece of Australian history".

The film is set to hit UK cinemas in April.

[back]