ORLANDO BLOOM - BLOOM 'GRATEFUL' FOR CHILDHOOD DYSLEXIA

Actor ORLANDO BLOOM has credited his childhood dyslexia for making him strive for success. The hunky Pirates of the Caribbean star, 30, struggled with schoolwork as a youth but excelled in the arts, and he admits his disability helped him to develop a strong sense of ambition. He says, "Because of the dyslexia I always thought I had to work twice as hard as everyone else just to go the same distance. And I think that gave me a real kick as a kid and a lot of fight and a lot of drive later on, like when I broke my back. "And now, whenever I prepare for a meeting I am always over prepared. So for the Lord Of The Rings audition, for example, I really prepared it thoroughly. In one sense, I guess that I'm grateful; it gave me that drive, and so far it's paid off."