How Katy Perry convinced Orlando Bloom to play Prince Harry in animated series The Prince
The Hollywood star was convinced to join the HBO Max animated comedy by fiancée Katy Perry.
Orlando Bloom says he's not one to mock others and he wouldn't have agreed to play Prince Harry in new animated series The Prince if it was a malicious takedown. But fiancée Katy Perry convinced him to do it.
Pirates of the Caribbean star Bloom is voicing Prince Harry in HBO Max's upcoming parody about Prince George and the Royal Family from Will & Grace executive producer Gary Janetti and the animators behind Family Guy.
Bloom told The Hollywood Reporter at heart he was a "British boy who's very proud of his roots.
"I understand how the Royal Family is loved by some and loathed by others, and I've always understood it as part of my heritage and background. I'm not someone who wants to poke fun at anyone normally, but this was so clever, witty and affectionately done."
Key to convincing him to take the part was his fiancée Katy. "Actually Katy saw one bit of it and was like, 'You've got to do this. This is genius'."
More like this
Bloom hadn't met Prince Harry when he agreed to do The Prince, but subsequently met him and they hit it off.
"This guy is so nice, and I think he's got a great sense of humor. I hope he maintains that through this because they're sort of on a pedestal. We're showing real adoration to them in one form or another."
He added that gentle mockery was a form of flattery. "I try to justify it, because quite frankly, if I'm honest, it's not like me to poke fun at anyone, but it is done with affection. When I was in my mid-20s, there were so many different people poking fun at me and, in a way, it's a sign of appreciation."
The Prince has actually been spun-off from Janetti's archly comic Instagram account, in which he has fun with the younger royals in various scenarios.
Bloom said: "It's not malicious or intended to be. He's really got his finger on the pulse, Gary. He's so smart and so zeitgeisty. I rolled the dice on it, but I'm going to have to mention it to Prince Harry when I next see him, because I'm not going to be able to not. Oddly, I'm sure I'm going to see him at some point, just because of the nature of the universe, it always throws people together."
The Prince will premiere on the HBO Max streaming platform. It's not clear when UK audiences will be able to view it because HBO Max isn’t available here and isn’t likely to be in the near future due to the first-look content deal Sky has with HBO programming. However, viewers can see some HBO shows on the NOW TV streaming service.
If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide.
