Orlando Bloom told UPI he put himself through a grueling training routine to prepare for his pugilist role in "The Cut." The boxing drama opens Friday.

Orlando Bloom stars in "The Cut," opening in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures UPI Orlando Bloom (L) and John Turturro star in "The Cut," opening in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures UPI Orlando Bloom attends the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2025 at The Royal Festival Hall in London in February. File Photo by Rune Hellestad/UPI UPI Caitriona Balfe attends the Critics' Choice Awards at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Calif., in February. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI UPI John Turturro, attends the premiere of "The Cut" at the Princess of Wales Theatre on opening night of the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto in 2024. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI UPI

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean icon Orlando Bloom says he put himself through a grueling training routine to prepare for his pugilist role in The Cut.

"it's about the fight in the mind. I think that's something that any athlete would probably agree with," Bloom told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.

"I had a chance to sort of burn the barn down a little bit -- physically and mentally, emotionally, which was something that I really committed to," he said. "it was almost like no acting required because everything that happens to Boxer was sort of happening to me because of the weight loss, the no water at the end and then just the mental fatigue, as well. You're not sleeping when you're so hungry. It's a really hard thing to do."

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Written by Justin Bull and directed by Sean Ellis, the film follows "The Boxer" (Bloom) as he goes to extraordinary lengths, including starving himself, to make weight and prepare for a comeback fight.

"Boxer, when we meet him, he's washed up," Bloom said.

"He's training, but not thinking he's going to have another shot and he suddenly sees this window of opportunity," he added. "It's that desperation that I think anyone can probably relate to for a second shot at life, a second shot at that title and that feeling of: 'Am I good enough? How do I get to be good enough? What do I need to do?'"

Severance actor John Turturro plays his ruthless trainer Boz and Outlander actress Caitríona Balfe plays Caitlin, his supportive wife who hates what Boxer is putting himself through for a long shot at winning.

"On the page, [Boz] was a bit more like a drill sergeant and John really came in and sort of inverted all the the dialogue and made it about the seduction of this world, of this character," Bloom said.

"He sees the weak Achilles heel of Boxer," the actor added. "He understands that relationship and he sort of does this miraculous seduction away, so that he can then take and use him to get what he needs and for Boxer to do what he HAS to do to live his dream."

Although Boz is relentlessly demanding and cruel towards Boxer, Bloom said he and Turturro became good friends over the course of the production.

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"It's all love," he laughed.

"John was all love. That was what he brought and it's amazing to work opposite talented actors like John and Caitríona and the rest of the cast because I was very vulnerable, very awkward. he recalled. "I was sort of out of it a lot of the time."

The film was shot in reverse chronological order because Bloom arrived on set at his lightest weight.

"When you're working with great people, they kind of give you nutrition through the work," Bloom said. "We support one another."