Dev Patel is an English actor known for his starring role as Jamal in the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire. His path to international stardom was swift and unexpected: with no prior acting experience, he landed a role in the U.K. television series Skins when he was 16 years old. While on the show in 2007 and 2008, Patel was chosen to star in Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches Mumbai drama, Slumdog Millionaire (opposite Freida Pinto). The film was a hit and Patel earned rave reviews for his performance. He went on to play the villain in the M. Night Shyamalan film The Last Airbender (2010).