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Exclusive: Dev Patel explains the lesson he learnt from Skins

Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images

From Digital Spy

Dev Patel may be one of our most acclaimed actors now, but it's crazy to believe that when he appeared in E4's Skins in 2007 he didn't really have an on-screen acting background, and it all happened because his mum saw an advert in a newspaper.

The teen drama was such a new kind of show at the time, and such a cultural phenomenon for a time, that you can imagine that being on show was quite the eye-opener.

Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy about the lessons he learned from his time on the series, the actor said: "Mainly I saw an opportunity missed.

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

Related: Which Skins star had the best post-show career?

"I was so enthralled by seeing all these cool people, making new friends, I was still in school at the time, I didn't really understand what the acting element was. I was really nervous and overdoing it.

"I went and did (Slumdog Millionaire) with Danny Boyle, and he told me the essence of stillness, I wish I could go back to that."

Another lesson he learnt (from us) is that if he were to do Skins again he would use better hair gel and "scrunch out the crunch".

Photo credit: Channel 4
Photo credit: Channel 4

Related: The sexiest British TV shows ever

Dev is currently starring in The Personal History of David Copperfield alongside Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi, Gwendoline Christie and Tilda Swinton, who he called "the Avengers of British acting".

The Personal History of David Copperfield is out in cinemas now.


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