Slumdog Millionaire’s young stars Dev Patel and Freida Pinto continue to give really sweet interviews in the lead up to this Sunday’s Oscars. Yesterday, People posted a little story about “the five things you don’t know about the stars of Slumdog Millionaire”. Some of it was old news – Freida Pinto used to have a crush on Leonardo DiCaprio, for instance, but a couple of the stories were really cute.

They’re asked about their crushes, and Freida (who is newly single), names Leonardo again. Then Dev gets a chance to answer, and he names Eva Mendes and Rosario Dawson. Dev loves darker women, can you tell? I bet he totally has a crush on Freida. After that, they tell the story of how they got to meet Angelina Jolie, and who they’ll be taking as their Oscar dates:

Different first impressions
“She’s absolutely stunning,” Patel thought when he first met his costar. But now he can dish about the real Freida (whom he calls a “wicked buddy”): “She’s super funny. In [public] she’s very gracious. But she’s quite the goof, she can poke fun at herself. And if someone dishes something out to her, she can give as good as she gets. She’s not shy.”

And Patel? “When I met him for the first time I was like, ‘Oh, my god, he’s a kid!’ ” Pinto recalls. “But I realized during the shooting of the film that as much as this boy is really funny and goofy, there’s this really mature, sensitive side to him as well.”

They have an Angelina connection
Irrfan Khan, the Indian megastar who plays the police inspector investigating Jamal’s game show success, costarred with Jolie in A Mighty Heart. Patel used the connection on a red carpet. “I was like, ‘Irrfan, make a beeline for Angelina! Tell her I want to say hi!’ And he did,” says Patel. “I didn’t say much. I was just more looking in awe at Angelina Jolie … I think she said ‘great film’ or something like that. It was a blur.”

They still haven’t chosen Oscar dates
Patel will probably take “my mum [Anita, an elder care worker]. She’s my good luck charm.” Pinto (who, like Patel, is single) is still deciding. “My mother [Sylvia, a school principal] can’t really take a break because it’s during board examinations.” Pinto may not know who will escort her, but she’s already prepping for the red-carpet walk. “I’m clumsy, so that’s when I have to breathe, control, and just walk as straight as possible.”

From People Magazine

Freida also gave a recent interview to Hello! Magazine. Somebody gave this girl the standard-issue talking points! She says that she doesn’t want to be known as “just a pretty face”. You aren’t Freida – you’re known as a “stunning beautiful face”, but nevermind. Freida also talks more about what the journey of Slumdog has meant to her. The Daily Telegraph has more (from the Hello! interview originally):

The 24-year-old former model had never acted on the big screen before she was cast in Danny Boyle’s rags-to-riches tale. Now she is the toast of Hollywood, but she is determined not to be typecast on account of her looks.

“I don’t want to be known as just a pretty face. I loved Charlize Theron in Monster. I want to play parts that are challenging and inspiring,” she told Hello! magazine.

“Slumdog is about destiny, and my personal journey through this film has made me realise the power of destiny. Planning doesn’t hurt, but it’s wonderful to know that sometimes life has bigger plans for you than you had for yourself.”

Pinto grew up in Mumbai and said of Slumdog Millionaire: “I cried the first time I watched it. It’s a very grounded film. I can honestly say it communicates the pulse of this vibrant city. Danny has done away with the clichés and shows India developing at a rapid pace. The way Mumbai doesn’t try to hide its highs or its lows is a vital part of its character. The poor and rich live among each other, and its slums are as much part of it as the beautiful structures that adorn it.”

From The Daily Telegraph

She seems like a real sweetheart, but it makes me uncomfortable thinking about the difficulties she’s going to have attempting a Hollywood career, not because of her stunning beauty, but because she’s an Indian actress with a strong accent. There should be more parts for her, but I fear there won’t be. But instead getting all morose about it, let’s imagine the newly-single Freida with the newly single Colin Farrell. Hot, right?

Dev Patel and Freida Pinto are shown at the BAFTA Awards on 2/8/09. Credit: WENN