An actor whose first film role yielded a long list of critical accolades, Dev Patel was born in London on April 23, 1990. Despite early indications of his acting talent, he didn't launch his career until 2006, when he won the role of a British-Pakistani Muslim teen in the British TV series "Skins."

Patel's portrayal of a quiz show contestant who comes by his answers honestly in Slumdog Millionaire (2008) brought him international fame. Making his performance all the more extraordinary was the fact that the picture marked his feature film debut.

Slumdog Millionaire earned Patel a British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer and a SAG Award for the film's ensemble cast. He also received a BAFTA nomination and a nod from the London Critics Circle, as well as awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Chicago Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review.