Skins (2007 – 2008)
At just 16, Dev Patel’s first acting job came when he landed the part of British Pakistani Muslim teenager Anwar on cult teen series Skins. His mum, Anita, saw the an ad for an audition in the local newspaper and encouraged Patel to go along. The role was based on Patel himself, with writers on the show basing the character on the Brit’s natural personality and traits. His two seasons on the show saw him become a favourite and build up a fanbase for Patel among younger viewers – something which would prove fortuitous when the 17-year-old daughter of filmmaker Danny Boyle drew her dad’s attention to the kid on their small screen.
Source: Supplied
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Boyle’s high concept fairytale set in Mumbai announced Patel on the world stage, with the film becoming a huge mainstream hit both commercially and critically. Slumdog Millionaire won eight Academy Awards – including best picture – and saw Patel work the awards season circuit, all while he was still in his late teens. Despite a decade-long career with numerous film and television credits, this is still Patel’s most iconic role for audiences.
Source: Mary Evans Picture Library
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
After a small stint in Hollywood blockbusters – M. Night Shyamalan’s panned The Last Airbender – Patel focussed on indies for a few years as he built experience and a body of work before dipping his foot back into bigger budgeted fair with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The ensemble comedy targeted at a more mature audience saw him bring a fresh-faced hopefulness and energy to a cast that starred some of the most seasoned performers in the business. He returned for a sequel in 2015.
The Newsroom (2012 – 2014)
It was back to TV in 2012 for Patel, who was one of the leads in Aaron Sorkin’s (The West Wing) high profile series The Newsroom. While the show might have struggled to connect with both viewers and critics initially, the exuberance of Patel’s character Neal was one of the series saving graces as the show eventually morphed into a depressingly prophetic look at what would become America’s political and journalistic climate by the finale of its third season.
Source: Supplied
Chappie
Patel became somewhat of a go-to for directors looking to cast a ‘smart guy’ aka the roles Seth Green and Jesse Eisenberg have had monopolies on at various points. In this underrated sci-fi gem, he’s somewhat Dr Frankenstein (minus the malice) as he creates a lovable but potentially deadly robot called Chappie with artificial intelligence. Patel provided the film’s emotional core playing the father role and gave the story a softness in what was an otherwise hard, cold and militarised version of Johannesburg.
Lion
Will this be the film that maketh a movie star? Hollywood taste setters say yes, with the 26-year-old scoring an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Saroo Brierley in the account of him losing his family in India and finding them some 25 years. Furthermore, write-ups on Patel have seen him swamped with the ‘Hollywood heartthrob’ tag as mainstream audiences catch up to the fact that the kid from Slumdog Millionaire ain’t a kid anymore.
Dev Patel in Lion. Source: Transmission
