Orlando Bloom may be most well known for his roles in “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Lord of the Rings,” but viewers will see a new side of the actor as he takes on three extreme sports in a matter of weeks in his new show, “To the Edge.” While Bloom goes rock climbing, wingsuiting and free diving — meaning without an oxygen tank — to about 102 feet below sea level, he's also often reciting Buddhist chants before embarking on each adventure.
” Bloom says he wanted to incorporate his faith into “To the Edge” because it makes him focus on each experience in life. “What my chanting of ‘Nam-myoho-renge-kyo’ does is, it just focuses me,” he says. “It has me open my mind to the experience, to be present to the moment, to go with the flow.” And while some may think the idea of Buddhism is the opposite of trying extreme sports, Bloom says his faith grounded him ahead of the intense moments seen on the show.