Orlando Bloom named goodwill ambassador for kids

Actor Orlando Bloom attends a meeting with city officials in Sarajevo August 12, 2008. Bloom said on Tuesday he was stepping aside from the big productions that made him a star to work in a film about life in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo during the 1992-95 siege.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Orlando Bloom, star of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Lord of the Rings" movies, was named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations children's organization UNICEF on Monday.

The 32-year-old British actor has supported the work of UNICEF since 2007, visiting projects in Nepal, Russia and Sarajevo that bring clean water, education and shelters to children.

He also took part in a local school radio production put on by children in one of the poorest regions of Nepal.

Bloom, regarded as one of the hottest male celebrities in the world, will follow in the footsteps of Audrey Hepburn, soccer player David Beckham, Colombian singer Shakira and actress Mia Farrow.

He said he wanted to be an active ambassador for UNICEF, which works to help children in more than 150 countries.

"I look forward to working with UNICEF as they continue to make the world a better place for children," Bloom said in a statement.

UNICEF executive director, Ann M. Veneman said that the work of goodwill ambassadors "helps build momentum to improve the lives of children around the world."

"We are proud to have Orlando Bloom as one of the strong voices for vulnerable children," Veneman said.

Bloom's first job will be to record a public service announcement for UNICEF on the importance of access to clean drinking water.

His latest movie, the romantic anthology "New York, I Love You" opens in the United States on Friday.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, editing by Dan Whitcomb)