Freida Pinto

Freida Selena Pinto is an Indian actress who works primarily in American and British films. Born on 18 October 1984 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, she grew up in Malad within a middle-class family. Her mother, Sylvia Pinto, worked as a school principal, and her father, Frederick Pinto, served as a senior branch manager for the Bank of Baroda. Pinto attended Carmel of St. Joseph School and later studied at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, majoring in English literature with minors in psychology and economics. Inspired in childhood by Sushmita Sen's 1994 Miss Universe win and later by watching the film Monster (2003), she resolved to pursue acting after graduating in 2005.

Following her graduation, Pinto worked as a model with Elite Model Management India for two and a half years, appearing in print and television advertisements. Between 2006 and 2008, she hosted the international travel show Full Circle on Zee International Asia Pacific. After auditioning for various Indian and international productions, Pinto secured her film debut as Latika in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Her performance earned her the Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, a Screen Actors Guild Award alongside her cast members, and a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

After her breakthrough, Pinto starred in Woody Allen's comedy-drama You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) and played the title character in Julian Schnabel's Miral (2010). In 2011, she appeared in four releases, including the commercially successful science fiction reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the fantasy action film Immortals, the Middle Eastern period drama Day of the Falcon, and the title role in Michael Winterbottom's Trishna.

In subsequent years, Pinto expanded her screen projects across film, television, and documentary narrations. She narrated the documentary Girl Rising (2013) and starred as a dancer in the biographical drama Desert Dancer (2014), which required extensive dance training and visits to rehabilitation centers. In 2015, she appeared in Terrence Malick's Knight of Cups, narrated the documentary Unity, and starred in Blunt Force Trauma, followed by a role as Messua in Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.

Pinto broadened her work into television with a main role in the Showtime miniseries Guerrilla (2017) and a recurring role in Hulu's drama series The Path (2018). Her later feature film credits include Love Sonia (2018), Hillbilly Elegy (2020), and Mr. Malcolm's List (2022). She was also announced to portray SOE agent Noor Inayat Khan in a biographical project, and her production company, Freebird Films, signed a first-look television agreement with Entertainment One.

Alongside her acting career, Pinto actively promotes humanitarian causes, particularly regarding the rights of women and underprivileged children. She has raised funds for the Agassi Foundation and served as a global ambassador for Plan International's Because I am a Girl campaign. Additionally, she participated in Gucci's Chime for Change campaign, advocated against child marriage and female genital mutilation, spoke publicly against the ban on the documentary India's Daughter, and joined the non-profit organization We Do It Together.