Orlando Bloom's 'Elizabethtown'

Orlando Bloom finally gets to leave the swords and costumes behind in the comedy "Elizabethtown."

"I loved it. I have to say, I really loved it," Bloom tells The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith. "I felt vulnerable. When you have a huge set piece in the middle of a movie, whether it's a siege tower coming down or 100 horses charging across the plain, it sort of does a lot of the work for you. When it's just you hold that thing, it was new. I feel like I've got a lot to learn."

Best known for his blockbuster epics "Lord Of The Rings," "Pirates Of The Caribbean," and "Kingdom Of Heaven," Bloom now takes the role of Drew Baylor, who meets a quirky flight attendant, played by Kirsten Dunst, while traveling to his father's memorial service in Kentucky.

"He's kind of that guy who's caught up in success," Bloom says about his character. "He's the hot shot at work, obsessed with the new car or whatever it may be."

But as he goes on this road trip through America, he has a self realization. "He ultimately comes to terms with the loss of his father, appreciates his family, and really falls in love with a girl," he says.

As for his experience in the Heartland of America, Bloom says all he has is good memories.

"I have experienced New York, which has a great heart. L.A. I have experienced the big cities culturally. But this was just family, community, friendship," he says. "Whether it was a beautiful suspension bridge across a river in Arkansas or standing in front of the Survivor Tree in Oklahoma City, it's just so powerful historically and as a place to move through. I love the great outdoors and nature. People would bring ice cream to the set, would bring like baked cakes and cookies. And that's a lot of love. It's not like something you can go down to the shop and buy a bag of cookies. People really welcomed us into their community."

From Academy Award winner Cameron Crowe ("Almost Famous"), the story is based on the director's personal journey.

"He went home to Kentucky to deal with the loss of his father and the funeral arrangements and so on," Bloom says. The film also stars Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, Bruce McGill, Judy Greer, Jessica Biel and Paul Schneider. It is produced by Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner and Cameron Crowe.

"Elizabethtown" is being released by Paramount Pictures, which is owned by the same parent company as CBSNews.com.

Fast Facts About Orlando Bloom:

• Born in Canterbury, England on Jan. 13, 1977
• Joined the National Youth Theatre at age 16 and spent two years honing his craft before winning a scholarship to London's British American Drama Academy
• In 1997, made his film debut as an attractive rent boy in "Wilde," the biopic of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde before furthering his training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
• In 1999, shortly after his graduation, he was cast in the star-making part of Legolas in the Tolkein trilogy that was filmed over a two-year period (1999-2000). Rolled out over three consecutive years, the films, "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002) and "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003).
• In 2001, he worked in the ensemble cast of the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced, Ridley Scott-directed war drama "Black Hawk Down."
• In 2003, he starred opposite Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean," loosely based on Disney's beloved theme park ride, playing the romantic, swashbuckling secondary lead Will Turner.
• In 2004, Bloom took on the role of the legendary warrior Paris in Wolfgang Petersen's "Troy," the film adaptation of Homer's epic poem. He also co-starred with Heath Ledger and Naomi Watts in "Ned Kelly" playing Joe Byrne, a member of the Kelly gang.