Dev Patel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dev Patel
Patel in 2016
Born	(1990-04-23) 23 April 1990 (age 35) Harrow, London, England
Occupation	Actor filmmaker
Years active	2006–present
Partner(s)	Tilda Cobham-Hervey (2017–present)
Awards	Full list

Dev Patel (/ˈdɛv pəˈtɛl/; born 23 April 1990) is an English actor and filmmaker. He has won many awards, including a British Academy Film Award. He was also nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2024, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Dev Patel started acting in the TV show Skins in 2007. His big break came in the movie Slumdog Millionaire (2008). This role earned him a nomination for a BAFTA Award. He then starred in popular films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015). He also appeared in the HBO TV series The Newsroom (2012–2014).

In 2016, Dev Patel played Saroo Brierley in the movie Lion. For this role, he won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. More recently, he starred in Hotel Mumbai (2018) and The Green Knight (2021). In 2024, he directed and starred in his first movie, Monkey Man.

Early Life and Growing Up

Dev Patel was born on April 23, 1990, in Harrow, North West London. His parents, Anita and Raju Patel, were born in Nairobi, Kenya. They moved to the United Kingdom when they were teenagers. Dev was raised in the Hindu faith. He can speak some Gujarati, which is his family's language.

When Dev was a child, he loved action movies. He once snuck downstairs to watch a Bruce Lee film on his parents' TV. He went to Longfield Primary School and Whitmore High School. His first acting role was in a school play called Twelfth Night. His drama teacher said he was a very talented student. He even got top marks for a performance about a child in the Beslan school siege.

Dev was a very energetic child. He started training in Taekwondo in 2000. He competed in many national and international events. In 2004, he won a bronze medal at the AIMAA World Championships in Dublin. He earned his 1st dan black belt in 2006.

Acting Career Beginnings

First TV Role: Skins

Dev Patel's acting career started in 2006. His mother saw an advertisement for auditions for the TV show Skins. She took him to the audition, even though he had a science exam the next day! After two auditions, he got the part of Anwar Kharral. Anwar was a British Pakistani teenager. The show's creators liked Dev so much that they made the character of Anwar fit his personality. Dev had no acting experience before this. He said he didn't know what to do on his first day of filming.

The first season of Skins aired in 2007. It won an award for Drama in 2008. Dev also starred in the second season of Skins in 2008.

Big Break: Slumdog Millionaire

Dev Patel in 2008

Dev Patel's first movie role was in Slumdog Millionaire. He played Jamal Malik, a young boy from the poor areas of Bombay, India. The director, Danny Boyle, looked at many actors. But his daughter suggested Dev after seeing him in Skins.

Dev had five auditions for the role. He was chosen in August 2007. To get ready for the part, Dev visited the Dharavi slums in India. He also worked for a day at a call centre and washed dishes in a hotel. This helped him understand his character's life.

Slumdog Millionaire was released in late 2008. Dev won many awards for his acting. These included a British Independent Film Award. He also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. This award was shared with the other actors in the movie. The film itself won four Golden Globes and eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Dev Patel at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

Dev then played Zuko in the movie The Last Airbender (2010). This movie was based on a cartoon series. Even though many people didn't like the movie, Dev's acting was often praised.

Becoming a Well-Known Actor

Dev Patel starred in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012). He also appeared in its sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015). These movies were very popular. For his role, he had to learn to speak with a perfect Indian-English accent.

From 2012 to 2014, Dev was in the HBO TV series The Newsroom. He played Neal Sampat, a blogger. In 2014, he starred in The Road Within. This film was about three friends with different challenges who go on a road trip.

In 2015, Dev acted in Chappie, a science fiction movie. He also played the famous mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan in The Man Who Knew Infinity.

Lion and Other Roles

In 2016, Dev Patel starred as Saroo Brierley in the true story movie Lion. He acted alongside Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara. The movie was loved by critics and got a lot of attention for awards. It is based on Saroo's book, A Long Way Home. Dev was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for this role. He was the third actor of Indian background to be nominated for an Oscar.

In 2018, Dev starred in the action movie Hotel Mumbai. In 2019, he played the main character in The Personal History of David Copperfield. This movie was based on a book by Charles Dickens. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this role. He also appeared in an episode of the TV show Modern Love.

Directing and Future Projects

In 2021, Dev Patel starred in The Green Knight. This movie was based on an old story about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. He also started his own movie production company called Minor Realm.

In 2023, Dev was in a short film by Wes Anderson called The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. He acted with stars like Benedict Cumberbatch and Ralph Fiennes.

Dev Patel made his first movie as a director in 2024. It's an action thriller called Monkey Man. He also wrote and produced the film, and he stars in it! The movie was first going to be on Netflix. But director Jordan Peele saw it and thought it should be shown in cinemas. So, he helped it get a big release. Monkey Man premiered in March 2024.

Dev will also be in a TV series called The Key Man. He will also star with Olivia Colman in a movie called Wicker.

Personal Life

Dev Patel dated his Slumdog Millionaire co-star Freida Pinto from 2009 to 2014.

In 2017, Dev started dating Australian actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey. They met while filming Hotel Mumbai. In 2022, they moved to Tilda's hometown of Adelaide, Australia. In August 2022, Dev was in the news for helping to break up a fight in Adelaide. The couple appeared together on the red carpet for the first time at the premiere of Monkey Man in April 2024.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

See Also

• List of awards and nominations received by Dev Patel
• List of British Academy Award nominees and winners
• List of actors with Academy Award nominations