Showing posts with label Freida Pinto. Show all posts

Friday, 28 April 2017

Freida Pinto on why she rejects roles 'not worth her time'...'I didn't want to play the pretty girl'

'I didn't want to play the pretty girl': Freida Pinto on why she rejects roles 'not worth her time'... as she talks of her 'pride' in 'fantastic' ex Dev Patel

PUBLISHED: 17:22, 28 April 2017 | UPDATED: 17:24, 28 April 2017

She is currently starring in Guerrilla, a gritty six-part Sky Atlantic drama about racial struggle and the Black Power Movement in 1970s London.

And stunning Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto has now revealed that she decided she 'did not want to play the pretty girl', and insists on going for acting roles which she considers 'worth her time'.

Speaking to Red magazine for their June issue, the actress, 32, discussed her relationship with former long-term boyfriend and Slumdog Millionaire co-star, BAFTA winner Dev Patel, 27.

Serious: Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto, 32, has revealed she decided she 'did not want to play the pretty girl', and insists on going for acting roles 'worth her time'

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes star said she wants to be seen for more than her appearance.

Freida said that before filming for Guerrilla, being seen as a pretty face was preventing her reaching her potential.

She told the publication: 'I enjoyed the films I made, but my full potential wasn’t explored. I didn’t want to play the pretty girl. I was fed up of playing those little roles. I didn’t relate to them.

'I have no problem with supporting characters, but I wanted one worth my time, that moved the plot around.'

Worth more: The star said that before filming for Guerrilla, being seen as a pretty face was preventing her reaching her potential

The Immortals actress also spoke about her ex Dev, 27, who is now dating Lion co-star Tilda Cobham-Hervey, 23.

The pair met on the set of Danny Boyle's hit 2008 movie Slumdog Millionaire, before continuing to date for nearly six years.

But despite the break up, the former couple have remained friends, and the talented actress is 'proud' of her super successful ex.

She said: 'At the end of the day he’s a fellow actor and my friend. I’ve seen the hard work he’s put in, and seeing it pay off [by winning the BAFTA] is the most beautiful thing.

'How could I not feel proud? He was fantastic in that film [Lion].'

Former flames: Freida also discussed her relationship with former long-term boyfriend and Slumdog Millionaire co-star, BAFTA winner Dev Patel, 27 (pictured 2009)

Long-term couple: The pair met on the set of Danny Boyle's hit 2008 movie before continuing to date for nearly six years

The star, who has previously said the pair broke up after she had a 'quarter life crisis', said she learned from the relationship.

She said: 'People come and go and everyone teaches you something. You need to embrace the good and bad, the ugly and beautiful.

'I’m not a love guru. I don’t have any tips on how to keep a break-up friendly. Just be open and honest.'

And when asked about impact of the six year age gap between the former couple, she responded: 'When you’re in a relationship, you’re in a relationship. You’re in it because you love the person.

'Things like age and wealth, none of it matters. You make it work, that’s it.'

Quarter life crisis: Freida split with Slumdog Millionaire co-star Dev in 2014 after a long term relationship and is currently single

Freida discussed the new series, which is set in London in 1971 and based around characters and events in the British Black Power movement during the 1970s.

Her series co-stars include James Bond favourite Idris Elba and his fellow British star Babou Cessay.

The trio address current hot topics of race, identity and political violence in the six-part drama.

The star told Red magazine she did everything she could to get the part opposite acting idol Idris.

She explained: 'I said, "No-one else can play this part. It is going to be me". Idris is fearless, and I want to work with fearless people.

'He’s generous with his talent. When he’s on set, everyone is enamored by him, but he never acted starry.'

Read the full interview in the June issue of Red magazine, on sale May 3

Freida, who currently lives in the US, is not just passionate about playing earthy, substantial roles on screen, but takes great interest in current events.

The star said that with Donald Trump in charge, America does not feel like the same country to which she emigrated after her Slumdog success.

She said: 'I am opinionated about the things I believe in.

'Sometimes people who don’t like confrontation find it hard to be around me.

'What’s happening right now isn’t just political, it’s inhumane. It’s divisive.

'I have friends in the Muslim nations affected by the travel ban. This is not the US I came to.

'I was accepted after arriving from India and being in one film.'

Read the full interview in the June issue of Red magazine, on sale May 3. For further exclusive content, please go to www.redonline.co.uk

Worthy roles: Freida discussed the new series, which is set in London in 1971 and based around characters and events in the British Black Power movement during the 1970s

Red Online | Fashion, Beauty, Recipes & More from Red magazine - Red Online

Saturday, 8 April 2017

Freida Pinto tells why her relationship with Slumdog Millionaire co-star Dev Patel hit the rocks

'I had a midlife crisis at 28': Freida Pinto tells why her relationship with Slumdog Millionaire co-star Dev Patel hit the rocks

Freida Pinto discusses how she hit an existential crisis at the age of 28
Reveals why she and Slumdog Millionaire co-star Dev Patel split in 2014
Discusses her new leading role in Sky’s six-part drama Guerrilla

By Jenny Johnston For Weekend Magazine

PUBLISHED: 23:31, 7 April 2017 | UPDATED: 23:31, 7 April 2017

Freida Pinto discusses how she hit an existential crisis at the age of 28

We’ve all heard of the midlife crisis, but what of the quarter-life one which is supposed to hit in the twenties or thirties?

Actress Freida Pinto, 32, thinks she might have had one. ‘For me it started at the age of 28, 29. Maybe it’s the body. Maybe it’s something about moving into womanhood from being a girl. You start asking, “What do I really want?”’

Do you ask yourself that even if you’re a millionaire actress with an A-list boyfriend? Yes, it seems – when Freida’s crisis hit she was enjoying Hollywood success and was in a steady relationship with her Slumdog Millionaire co-star Dev Patel.

‘There comes a point where you’ve got everything you want – career, love, family – but you’ve ignored yourself. Life hits you and you think, “What about me? What do I really want?”’

She’s explaining, in a roundabout way, why she and Dev split in December 2014, and why she’s currently single.

‘For the first time, I finally understand the concept of self-love and self-care,’ she says. ‘I’m single and happy, and busy. I haven’t been single for a long time. It’s like being born again.’

Not that she’s dismissing the relationship that was kindled when the pair – both unknowns – became overnight stars thanks to Slumdog, which was a box office smash in 2008.

‘You can be with someone and it can be really good for your growth,’ she says. ‘That’s what Dev was for me. The seven years I was with him were so impactful. But I ended up being single when I started thinking about these other things.’

They’re still great friends, she insists. ‘You can’t share such a monumental shift in life, then not be friends. That would be the saddest thing ever.’

Freida’s new-found independence has seen her take her first leading TV role in Sky’s six-part drama Guerrilla. It’s set in London in 1971 and based on the Black Power movement in Britain – a little-known chapter of our history that’s timely given its preoccupation with issues of race, identity and extremism.

Freida split with Slumdog Millionaire co-star Dev Patel in 2014 and is currently single. Pictured as their characters Jamal and Latika in the Oscar winning film

Though no longer together Freida says that she and Dev are still best friends. Pictured: The former couple with Alexa Chung on the front row of Burberry Prorsum Spring/ Summer 2010

‘It’s set in 1971 but it could be 2017,’ explains Freida. ‘It was a chapter I didn’t know anything about, and a lot of my British friends didn’t either. It’s a “what if” story. What if someone did get radicalised? What would be the fate of the revolutionaries?’

The explosive drama, loosely based on true events, focuses on young couple Jas and Marcus, played by Freida and Babou Ceesay. They’re activists who free a political prisoner and form an underground cell.

Their ultimate target is the ‘Black Power desk’, a real counter-intelligence unit that operated within Special Branch, but the show also poses questions about what would have happened if the Black Power movement had been armed.

Freida takes her first leading TV role in Sky’s six-part drama Guerrilla (pictured)

It’s the brainchild of John Ridley, who wrote 12 Years A Slave, and stars Idris Elba as Kent, a fellow activist with a more pacifist approach. Freida says, ‘The show is about how far we’ll go for our beliefs, and how the line between activism and radicalism can be crossed.’

She says this is the kind of ‘meaty role’ every actress wants, rather than the ‘pretty love interest’ they’re often offered. It’s a long way from the period immediately after Slumdog, when overnight stardom had drawbacks.

Freida talks of the ‘circus’ that builds up around Hollywood actors, and says she wasn’t ready for it. ‘The first two years were difficult. My friends said, “You’re becoming reclusive.” I was fearful. Will I have privacy any more? Will my every move be judged?’

She was terrified that she wouldn’t be allowed to make mistakes, and became paranoid.

Deciding how to follow Slumdog was tricky. Should she sign up for the first blockbuster going? The first few offers she received were stereotypical roles of the Indian girl who wants to find a husband or is stuck in an arranged marriage, showing that Hollywood still has issues about the type of part Asian actresses can play.

Freida saw the bigger picture. ‘I recognised that this opportunity had probably never happened before to someone from India. It would have been easy to take a big-budget film, but I was afraid of letting my whole culture down.’

She admits she didn’t always make the right decision and cites Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes from 2011. She played a scientist, Caroline, who turned out to be, after the editing process, just a pretty face. One US critic called Caroline a ‘boringly decorous tag-along girlfriend’.

She protests – as only beautiful people can – that she doesn’t get the fixation on looks. ‘I don’t think of myself the way people think of me. I don’t understand the concept of beautiful. If you cast the most stereo- typical beautiful person but they can’t act, what’s the point?’

Guerrilla begins on Thursday at 9pm on Sky Atlantic.

Sunday, 26 February 2017

Freida Pinto stuns in a yellow gown and 9ct diamond earrings at Independent Spirit Awards

Hello sunshine! Freida Pinto stuns in a yellow gown and 9ct diamond earrings at Independent Spirit Awards

By Leeor Samocha For Dailymail.com

PUBLISHED: 00:04, 26 February 2017 | UPDATED: 00:18, 26 February 2017

She will make a huge impact with her 'no food waste' initiative at the Oscars on Sunday.

But on Saturday, all the attention was on Freida Pinto as she hit the 32nd Independent Spirit Awards carpet for an entirely different reason.

The 32-year-old actress - who was a presenter - brought the sunshine in a yellow lace dress that ensured all eyes would be on her at the award ceremony, held seaside in Santa Monica.

Trophy: Freida Pinto, 32, wore a golden-yellow lace illusion dress to the 32nd Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday in Santa Monica, California

Team work! Freida and actor Trevante Rhodes present an award together

The gorgeous activist for women's rights looked like a proper trophy in a golden yellow Uel Camilo dress, fresh off the Spring 2017 runway.

The pretty little number featured long sleeves that bared Freida's lithe shoulders.

Sheer nude mesh held together the delicate fabric to give the appearance of crawling up the Slumdog Millionaire star's chest and revealed a good amount of skin.

All eyes on her: The 32-year-old actres presented the award for Best International Film at the seaside award show in Santa Monica

Whimsical: Though the floral design reached her knees, it allowed for a peak at the Indian actress's shapely legs

Though the floral design reached her knees, it allowed for a peak at the Indian actress's shapely legs.

Pinto complemented the golden dress with a pair of metallic gold barely-there heels and matching rectangular box clutch.

She was decked out in yellow 9-carat total weight diamond drop earrings and a large diamond ring on her left index finger by jewelry line Harry Kotlar.

The Mumbai native's dark brown mane was pulled back into a loose up-do.

Matchy matchy! Pinto complemented the golden dress with a pair of metallic gold barely-there heels and matching rectangular box clutch.

This year, the Blunt Force Trauma star has teamed up with an organization called Copia and the people behind the biggest Oscar weekend parties to 'recover excess food and deliver it to communities most in need in Los Angeles.'

'Our aim is to ensure that no one goes hungry in our film and TV town of Los Angeles by recovering leftover foods from all of our big parties and events,' she told Vanity Fair earlier this month.

Pretty people: The Mumbai native posed with actor Orlando Bloom at the table

This year, the star has teamed up with Copia and the people behind the biggest Oscar weekend parties to ensure no food will be wasted

2017 Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

Best Feature:

American Honey

Chronic

Jackie

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Best Director:

Andrea Arnold, American Honey

Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Pablo Larraín, Jackie

Jeff Nichols, Loving

Kelly Reichardt, Certain Women

Best First Feature:

The Childhood of a Leader

The Fits

Other People

Swiss Army Man

The Witch

Best Female Lead:

Annette Bening, 20th Century Women

Isabelle Huppert, Elle

Sasha Lane, American Honey

Ruth Negga, Loving

Natalie Portman, Jackie

Best Male Lead:

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

David Harewood, Free In Deed

Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

Jesse Plemons, Other People

Tim Roth, Chronic

Best Supporting Female:

Edwina Findley, Free In Deed

Paulina García, Little Men

Lily Gladstone, Certain Women

Riley Keough, American Honey

Molly Shannon, Other People

Best Supporting Male:

Ralph Fiennes, A Bigger Splash

Ben Foster, Hell or High Water

Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea

Shia LaBeouf, American Honey

Craig Robinson, Morris from America

Best Screenplay:

Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (story by Tarell Alvin McCraney)

Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Mike Mills, 20th Century Women

Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, Little Men

Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water

Best First Screenplay:

Robert Eggers, The Witch

Chris Kelly, Other People

Adam Mansbach, Barry

Stella Meghie, Jean of the Joneses

Craig Shilowich, Christine

Best Cinematography:

Ava Berkofsky, Free In Deed

Lol Crawley, The Childhood of a Leader

Zach Kuperstein, The Eyes of My Mother

James Laxton, Moonlight

Robbie Ryan, American Honey

Best Editing:

Matthew Hannam, Swiss Army Man

Jennifer Lame, Manchester by the Sea

Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders, Moonlight

Jake Roberts, Hell or High Water

Sebastián Sepúlveda, Jackie

John Cassavetes Award:

Free In Deed

Hunter Gatherer

Lovesong

Nakom

Spa Night

Robert Altman Award:

American Honey

Moonlight- WINNER

Morris from America

Best Documentary:

13th

Cameraperson

I Am Not Your Negro

O.J.: Made in America

Sonita

Under the Sun

Best International Film:

Aquarius (Brazil)

Chevalier (Greece)

My Golden Days (France)

Toni Erdmann (Germany and Romania)

Under the Shadow (Iran and U.K.)

Piaget Producers Award:

Lisa Kjerulff

Jordana Mollick

Melody C. Roscher & Craig Shilowich

23rd Annual Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award:

Andrew Ahn, Spa Night

Claire Carré, Embers

Anna Rose Holmer, The Fits

Ingrid Jungermann, Women Who Kill

22nd Truer Than Fiction Award:

Kristi Jacobson, Solitary

Sara Jordenö, Kiki

Nanfu Wang, Hooligan Sparrow

KATCHING MY I

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