We need to talk about Dev Patel.
The 26-year-old British Indian actor could walk away with the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Lion.” In the film, Dev plays Saroo Brierley, a man desperately searching for his family in India after being separated from them at the age of 5.
It’s a great, fiery performance that deserves recognition in and of itself, but there’s another reason we’re rooting for him. Just read this tweet:
That is a huge deal. On-screen representation matters, and it’s especially important for Asian actors. According to a 2016 diversity study, Asian actors nabbed only 3.9 percent of speaking roles in film ― a stark contrast from the 73.7 percent white actors receive.
That’s not the only reason we’re pulling for Dev to win an Oscar, though. Below, a few reasons why we’re obsessed with the Oscar-nominated actor:
— Before receiving all this Oscar buzz for “Lion,” Dev was in 2008’s massive hit “Slumdog Millionaire” and was equally amazing in that. Remember when he danced like this and low-key stole your heart?
— He was also great on HBO’s “The Newsroom,” playing a blogger and the office’s resident computer geek.
