(DailyVantage.com) – Hollywood star Orlando Bloom met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev on March 25 in his role as a UNICEF ambassador.
Bloom — who starred in the Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings movies — told the Ukrainian leader he was inspired by the “strength of the Ukrainian people,” and said it was “an honor,” to meet with him. Zelenskyy responded that it was likewise an honor for him to meet with Bloom.
During their meeting, the actor read a 1994 letter from his Japanese Buddhist mentor to Zelenskyy, before tapping Zelenskyy’s chest and praising his heart. The two then hugged and posed for photographs together.
In Kiev, Bloom was also recorded making a visit to a Ukrainian children’s center, where he entertained the youth with juggling and helped them make towers with building blocks.
In a statement, the actor said it was vital to support education for Ukrainian children “amid the chaos” of Ukraine’s war with Russia to protect their wellbeing and mental health. He also said the war would have to end before the Ukrainian youth would be able to resume their childhoods and recover.
Bloom has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2009 and has travelled in this role to Bangladesh, Jordan, Niger, and Liberia. In 2015, he was awarded the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award.
Bloom is not the only Hollywood star to have met with Zelenskyy since the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In November 2022, actor Sean Penn met with Zelenskyy in Kiev and gave the Ukrainian leader one his Academy Award statues. Penn asked Zelenskyy to return the award to Malibu when Ukraine wins the war and, in return, Zelenskyy awarded Penn the Ukrainian Order of Merit.
Nearly six months prior to that meeting, in June 2022, actor and comedian Ben Stiller also met with Zelenskyy. During their meeting, Stiller said Zelenskyy was his “hero” and complimented the Ukrainian leader’s prior acting career.
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