Known for his starring role in Danny Boyle's drama film Slumdog Millionaire, Dev Patel is a British film and television actor of Indian descent. For his portrayal of Jamaal Malik in the movie, Dev Patel won Star Guilds Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He further appeared in films like The Airbender (2008), The Road Within (2014), and Lion (2016). His TV credits include shows like Skins and The Newsroom.
Early Life
Born in Harrow, London, to Raj Patel, an IT professional, and Anita, a caregiver, Dev Patel is of Gujarati Indian descent, whose parents were both born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. A Taekwon-do black belter, he started training at Rayners Lane Academy of Taekwon-do, in 2000. He has competed in national and international competitions and has received several medals. Dev Patel was interested in acting as a child and his first stage performance was when he played Sir Andrew Aguecheek in the school's production of Twelfth Night.
Personal Life
Dev Patel was in a long term relationship with his Slumdog Millionaire co-star Freida Pinto but the couple called it quits in December 2014, after 6 years of dating.
Movie Career
In 2008, Dev Patel featured opposite Frieda Pinto, in his debut film Slumdog Millionaire. Directed by Danny Boyle, the movie is based on how a boy from the slums of Mumbai becomes a contestant on the quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati, an Indian adaptation of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Slumdog Millionaire opened to a smashing response worldwide, making Dev Patel an overnight star. His subsequent release was the 2010 fantasy film The Last Airbender. The film was a box office disaster, with Rotten Tomato giving it an approval rating of only 6%. Patel was given a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actor for the film. Patel then starred in movies like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), About Cherry (2012), and The Road Within (2014). His 2016 releases include the biographical drama film The Man Who Knew Infinity, based on the book of the same name, and the Australian-American-British film Lion. Starring Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, David Wenham and Nicole Kidman, the movie premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.
Television Career
Dev Patel started his small screen career as Anwar Kharral, in 2007, with the teen comedy drama Skins. For his appearance in the political drama show The Newsroom, Patel received a nomination for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.