Freida pinto profile biography

Indian actress (born )

Freida Pinto
Pinto in
Born	Freida Selena Pinto[1] () 18 October (age&#;40) Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Alma&#;mater	St. Xavier's College, Mumbai
Occupation	Actress
Years&#;active	–present
Spouse	Cory Tran &#; (m.&#;)&#;
Children	1

Freida Selena Pinto (born 18 October ) is an Indian actress who has appeared mainly in American and British films.

Born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra, she resolved at a young age to become an actress. As a student at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai she took part in amateur plays. After graduation, she briefly worked as a model and then as a television presenter.

Pinto rose to prominence with her film debut in the drama Slumdog Millionaire (), winning a SAG Award and earning a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. She earned critical acclaim for her roles in Miral (), Trishna (), and Desert Dancer ().^[2] She also saw commercial triumph with the science fiction filmRise of the Planet of the Apes (), and the legendary fantasy action film Immortals ().

Pinto's other notable roles incorporate You Will Meet a Statuesque Dark Stranger (), Love Sonia (), Hillbilly Elegy (), and Mr. Malcolm's List (). She also starred in the Showtime miniseries Guerrilla (), and had a recurring role in the Hulu series The Path ().

Along with her film career, she promotes humanitarian causes.

Early life and background

Pinto was born on 18 October in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra^[3] to Mangalorean Catholic parents from Mangalore, Karnataka.^[a][5][6][7] Her mother, Sylvia Pinto, was the principal of St.

John's Universal School in Goregaon, West Mumbai, and her father, Frederick Pinto, was a senior branch manager for the Bank of Baroda in Bandra, West Mumbai.^[8]

Pinto had a middle class upbringing in the suburb of Malad, North Mumbai.^[9][10] She first wanted to be an actress when she was five years old,^[11][12] often dressing up and imitating television actors during her childhood.^[11][13] She later recalled being inspired by Sushmita Sen's victory in the Miss Universe competition, explaining that "the country was really proud of her, and I was like, one day, I want to do the same".^[14] Pinto attended the Carmel of St.

Joseph School in Malad, North Mumbai^[15] and then studied at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai in Fort, South Mumbai. Her major was in English literature, with minors in psychology and economics.^[13][16] At college, she participated in amateur theatre,^[13] but declined acting and modeling assignments until her graduation in ^[17]

Despite her interest in acting from an early age, Pinto was undecided on what career to obtain until watching Monster () while at college.

She stated: "I guess it was when I watched Monster I pretty much knew. I had to discover a way. I had to do something like that, something completely transformational."^[18] In , Pinto began a modeling career and joined Elite Model Management India,^[3] with whom she worked for two and a half years.^[13] She was featured in several television and print advertisements for products such as Wrigley's Chewing Gum, Škoda, Vodafone India, Airtel, Visa, eBay, and De Beers.^[19]

Around the same time, Pinto began going to auditions for films and television shows.

She was chosen to host Full Circle, an international travel show that aired on Zee International Asia Pacific between and ^[12] The show took her to countries all over the world, including Afghanistan, Fiji, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.^[20] Her auditions for both Bollywood and Hollywood productions, including Shimit Amin's Indian Hindi-language sports filmChak De!

India (), and for the role of Bond girlCamille Montes in Marc Forster's Quantum of Solace (), were largely unsuccessful.^[13][18][20] Pinto later claimed that it was a superb learning experience, stating that she was "glad things happened the way they happened.

I needed to be rejected, and I needed to learn that it's part of the game I can have rejections, but I'm sure there's going to be one particular thing that is almost destined for me to have."^[21]

Acting career

– Beginnings and breakthrough

In , Pinto's modeling agency selected her and six other models to audition for the female lead in Danny Boyle's production Slumdog Millionaire () after a request by its casting director.^[3][13] After undergoing six months of extensive auditions, Pinto won the role of Latika, the adore interest of the main personality Jamal, played by Dev Patel.^[22] During the post-production phase, she attended an acting course at the Barry John Acting Studio in Mumbai.^[8] Although the course taught her about the "technical aspects" of acting, she stated that "in terms of the actual experience, there's nothing enjoy going out there and actually playing the part So for me, my favorite acting educational facility was the six months of auditioning with Danny Boyle".^[13] Pinto won the Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival,^[23] and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Superb Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, along with other cast members from the film.^[24] She was also nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the BAFTA Awards.^[25] Pinto's performance in the film drew little attention from critics as her screen presence in the film was limited.

The Telegraph (Calcutta) opined "it's difficult to form an opinion" on her character; its columnist Bharathi S. Pradhan noted "Slumdog Millionaire wasn't really a quiz of Freida's acting abilities."^[12]

Following the success of Slumdog Millionaire, Pinto signed up for two art house productions.^[26][27] In Woody Allen's comedy-drama You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (),^[28] she acted alongside Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Anupam Kher, and Naomi Watts.^[29] She played a "mystery woman" who draws the attention of the personality played by Brolin.

Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, the film received mixed reviews upon its release.^[30][31] Pinto then starred in Julian Schnabel's Miral (), based on a semi-biographical novel by Rula Jebreal, playing an orphaned Palestinian woman who grew up in a refugee camp in Israel.^[32] Before the film's production began in the Palestinian territories, Pinto prepared for the role by visiting several refugee camps in the area.^[33] She stated that she could relate to her character's experiences because of her knowledge about her relatives' experiences during the partition of India in the s.^[33] The film received largely negative reviews,^[34][35] and Pinto's performance divided critics:^[36] Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent wrote that "Miral is played very engagingly by Freida Pinto",^[37] while Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian stated that "[Pinto] looks uneasy and miscast".^[38]

–present

Pinto had four releases in The first was the science fiction filmRise of the Planet of the Apes, a reboot of the Planet of the Apes series.^[39] She played the role of Caroline Aranha, a primatologist who falls in love with the main character, played by James Franco.^[40][41] To prepare for her role, she researched the career of English anthropologistJane Goodall.^[26] The film went on to gross US$ million worldwide; it remains her highest-grossing film as of April ^[42] Pinto's character received criticism for being too one-dimensional: Anthony Quinn of The Independent called it a "failure",^[43] and Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter described the character as the most "boringly decorous tag-along girlfriend seen onscreen in years."^[44] Pinto's second screen appearance of the year was playing the title character in Michael Winterbottom's Trishna.

The film, based on Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles, gave Pinto the role of a teenage Rajasthani peasant, who leaves her family to work for a British-born Indian hotelier, played by Riz Ahmed.^[45][46] It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and gained a mixed response from critics.^[47][48] Nishat Bari of India Today called Pinto's role her "most substantial" one to that point.^[49]Philip French of The Guardian stated that Pinto "captivates" in the lead role,^[45] while Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called her performance "touchingly beautiful".^[50] In contrast, Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote that Pinto is "one of [the film's] loveliest attractions, but she and her director haven't been able to give Trishna a pulse".^[51]

Pinto's third film role in was playing Princess Lailah in the poorly received independent film Day of the Falcon,^[b][52] a period drama set in the s Middle East, where she was cast alongside Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong and Liya Kebede.^[53] Despite overall negative reviews, Andy Webster of The Recent York Times described Pinto and Kebede as "refreshing" and celebrated their "independent presences amid the stiflingly male-dominated milieu".^[54] Pinto's closing screen appearance of the year was in the fantasy-action motion picture Immortals, in which she played the oracle priestess Phaedra.^[55] Despite receiving mixed-to-positive reviews from critics,^[56] the film grossed US$ million worldwide.^[57] Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Todd McCarthy remarked that Phaedra was "capably embodied" by Pinto.^[58]

After , Pinto had no new film releases for two years.

In , she appeared in the music video for Bruno Mars' single "Gorilla". She was criticised by the Indian media for appearing in the video;^[59]The Times of India and Hindustan Times dismissed it as little more than "dirty dancing".^[60][61] In the same year, Pinto was also one of the narrators in the documentary clip Girl Rising, produced for the campaign of the same mention which promotes access to learning for girls all over the world.^[62]

Pinto's first cinematic appearance in two years was in the biographical drama Desert Dancer (), which was about the animation of Iranian choreographer Afshin Ghaffarian.^[63] She played the heroin-addicted Elaheh, the love interest of the lead character played by Reece Ritchie.^[64] The role required her to do dance training consisting of eight hours of rehearsals a day for 14 weeks.^[65] She also attended a several sessions at rehabilitation centres in the United States to plan for her role.^[66] It received largely negative reviews,^[67][68] although Andy Webster of The New York Times noted that "Pinto, even with an unfocused and underwritten role, is captivating".^[64]

Pinto's first clip of was Terrence Malick's Knight of Cups, which featured an ensemble cast including Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, and Antonio Banderas.^[69] She played Helen, a model with whom Bale embarks on a "dalliance".^[70][71] She talked about acting without a script: "It is definitely a bit nerve-racking on the first day because you don't comprehend where you are going to go.

But once you figure that out, then it doesn't really matter. It is actually very relaxing. It is entertaining and liberating. It is an experience that I completely embrace".^[72] Premiering at the competition section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival,^[73][74] the film received average to mixed reviews from critics.^[75][76] The film was released in the United States in March ^[77] She was among the narrators of Unity (), a documentary that explores the relationships between Earth's species.^[78] Her third release of that year was the Colombian action movie Blunt Force Trauma, in which she starred opposite Ryan Kwanten and Mickey Rourke as a woman looking for her brother's murderer.^[79] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter criticised the clip, stating that it "takes itself much more seriously than viewers will."^[80] In , Pinto worked on Andy Serkis' Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, a motion capture adventure fantasy film based on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.^[81] She portrays Mowgli's adoptive mother, Messua, in the film.^[72][82]

In January , it was announced that Pinto was to perform the lead in a biopic of the SOE agent Noor Inayat Khan,^[83] based on the book Spy Princess: The Experience of Noor Inayat Khan by Shrabani Basu.

More recently, she and her Freebird Films business inked a first look TV deal at Entertainment One.^[84]

Charity work

Pinto has been actively involved with several humanitarian causes, and is vocal about the uplifting of women and underprivileged children.^[85][86] She has cited Angelina Jolie and Malala Yousafzai as "massive" inspirations in this regard.^[87] In , Pinto joined Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf in support of their philanthropic organisation, the Agassi Foundation.

She raised $75, for their annual fund raiser — "The 15th Grand Slam for Children"—which was aimed at providing education for underprivileged children.^[88][89] Two years later, she was appointed as the global ambassador of Plan International'sBecause I am a Girl,^[90] a campaign that promotes gender equality with the aim of lifting millions of girls out of poverty.^[91]

In , Pinto appeared in a video clip for Gucci's "Chime for Change" campaign to raise funds and awareness of women's issues in terms of education, health, and justice.^[92]

The following year, she participated at the "Girls' rights summit" in London, where she called for more progress toward the end of female genital mutilation and child marriage.^[93] In Parade , she spoke out against the Indian government's ban on India's Daughter, Leslee Udwin's documentary on the Delhi gang rape.^[94] During its premiere at the United States, she said the film needs to reach the public as it is not a "shame-India documentary".^[95] In a interview, she stated: "This clip in no way is propagating violence in order to solve the problem.

Freida Pinto is an Indian actress and accepted model, known for her role in the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire". Freida Pinto was born on October 18,in Mumbai, India. She has an older sister, Sharon Pinto, who is a producer for a news channel. Freida attended St.

In truth, what we're saying is let's do this in the most civilized possible way ever".^[96]

In February , Pinto announced that she would be a part of a nonprofit organisation called "We Do It Together", which provides financing for feature films, documentaries, and television shows that point on women's empowerment.^[85]

Media image

Although she played a small role in Slumdog Millionaire, the film catapulted Pinto to widespread recognition.^[97][98] The media has often speculated about her roles and earnings.^[17][99] In March , The Daily Telegraph reported Pinto as the highest-paid Indian actress,^[] although she had not appeared in a Bollywood film to that point.^[]CNN-IBN called her "India's best export to [the] West",^[] while The Telegraph (Calcutta) described her as "arguably the biggest global star from India".^[97]

Pinto has been frequently included in beauty and fashion polls conducted by various magazines.^[][] She was featured in People magazine's annual lists of "World's Most Beautiful People" and "World's Leading Dressed Women" in ^[][] That year, she was also included in Vogue's list of the "top ten most stylish women".^[] In , Pinto was included as the only Indian public figure among the "50 Most Stunning Women in Film", a list compiled by Los Angeles Times Magazine.^[] The following year, People named her one of the "Most Beautiful at Every Age".^[] She was featured in the "Top 99 Most Desirable Women" poll conducted by AskMen, consecutively from to ^[][][]

In , Pinto was made a spokeswoman for L'Oréal Paris.^[] Two years later, a controversy arose when she appeared in an advert promoting a L'Oréal product; it showed Pinto in what was perceived to be a lighter skin tone due to make-up or editing.

The company denied claims of retouching Pinto's picture.^[][]

A accepted actress in Hollywood, Pinto remains a relatively little-known figure in India;^[97][] critics and analysts possess attributed the fact to the failure of Slumdog Millionaire in the country.^[] Indian sociologist Ashis Nandy remarked, "My periscope does not pick her up", while journalist Khalid Mohamed stated, "She is not a factor in Mumbai."^[97] The Indian media has criticised her "fluctuating" accents, in Hindi and English, and attributed her inability to find roles in Bollywood to her shadowy complexion.^[17] Despite these criticisms, Pinto has been credited by the media for having avoided creature stereotyped as an Indian in Hollywood, as she often plays characters of other nationalities.^[40][] In a interview with Hindustan Times, she said she consciously avoids roles that depict stereotypes.^[]

Pinto balances out her career by productive in "big budget Hollywood blockbusters" alongside "smart independent films." When asked about her preference for Hollywood, she replied: "I just wanted to become an player.

As an actor, you don't have to limit yourself to a particular culture or ethnicity. I want to spread my tentacles everywhere and am ready for a film offer from any part of the world."^[]

Personal life

Before beginning her film career, Pinto was engaged to Rohan Antao, who had been her publicist at one point.

She ended the relationship in January and began dating her Slumdog Millionaire co-star Dev Patel.^[] After a six-year relationship, the couple separated amicably in December ^[]

Pinto became engaged to photographer Cory Tran in November ,^[] and they married in at the Honda Center.^[] She gave birth to their son in November ^[]

After the success of Slumdog Millionaire, Pinto had split her time between Mumbai, London, and Los Angeles,^[17][][] and as of she lives in Los Angeles.^[]

Filmography

Film

†	Denotes upcoming films

Television

Music video appearances

Awards and nominations

Notes

References