During a recent conversation with Interview magazine, Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto talked about life before and after 2008’s sleeper hit, about a young man’s appearance on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and the problems that ensue.
Upon seeing Charlize Theron in 2003 crime drama Monster, the then-19-year-old Pinto knew what she wanted to do with her life. “I pretty much knew. I had to find a way. I had to do something like that, something completely transformational,” she said.
Before landing her starring role in Slumdog, Pinto was very familiar with the audition trail. “I was rejected at almost every one of them,” laughed the Mumbai-born actress. “One person said, ‘She doesn’t look too Indian…’ I still get it a lot.”
“Then Slumdog Millionaire happened, and then there was this tension and pressure of ‘Now what? Where do I go from here? What if no one approaches me?’ But then I guess it was just destiny. The film became what it became, offers kept coming in…” she recalled about the film, which unexpectedly took off at the box office, thanks to strong word-of-mouth. “The acting experience on the film set was beautiful. It was in my own city, in my own backyard, and I had to draw from the natural surroundings, and it made me learn and appreciate my city more.”
Check her out in Rise of the Planet of the Apes this weekend!
