What the Dickens?

David Copperfield is perhaps not an obvious role for Dev Patel. Charles Dickens’ coming-of-age novel is set in the 1840s – surely this is a stuffy, dull old tale with little relevance for a young actor yet to reach his 30 th birthday? Not a bit of it, says Patel. David Copperfield’s story will resonate, he says, with “any young person growing up and trying to figure out who they are and trying to overcome adversities. I really related to David – I relate to someone trying to find themselves. There was a general awkwardness to him that I can strongly key into. It’s a story about identity, and about accepting your past and embracing where you came from.”

This modern iteration of the Dickens classic, The Personal History of David Copperfield, is an inventive adaptation helmed by acclaimed writer and director Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, The Death of Stalin). It earned rave reviews at its world premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and garnered 11 nominations at the British Independent Film Awards, including one for best film and another for Patel as best actor. The cast also includes a host of British big hitters: Hugh Laurie, Ben Whishaw, Peter Capaldi, Gwendoline Christie, and Tilda Swinton, who plays Copperfield’s aunt Betsey Trotwood.

Patel is adept at bringing compassion to his roles, which include gripping portrayals of young people on difficult life paths. He began acting professionally at the age of 16, playing the troubled Anwar Kharral in teen television drama Skins, encouraged by his mother, who, he has said, “saw an advert for the Skins audition in Metro, tore it out and dragged me along to the National Youth Theatre in London. The reason I’m in the industry is because of her.”

His breakthrough film role came 2008’s Danny Boyle-directed Slumdog Millionaire – Boyle struggled to find a lead actor who could portray the sensitivity and vulnerability of main character Jamal until his teenage daughter, a fan of Skins, pointed him in Patel’s direction. Patel has since appeared in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015), and Lion (2016), for which he earned an Oscar nomination and a BAFTA award for best supporting actor. He also stars in this year’s Hotel Mumbai, and recently completed filming on Green Knight, a medieval epic co-starring Alicia Vikander, and Modern Love, a television series set in New York.

Patel’s own life is in marked contrast to the turbulent teen roles he has played: where Anwar Kharral’s hard-partying lifestyle meant exam failure, Patel not only racked up top marks for his drama GCSE, but also passed four AS levels while working on Skins. Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire had a chequered romantic history; the relationship Patel started with co-star Freida Pinto lasted for six years. The couple split amicably in 2014 and remain friends, and Patel is now dating his Hotel Mumbai co-star Tilda Cobham-Hervey. Born and raised in Harrow, on the outskirts of London, he now divides his time between his home city and Los Angeles. At the age of just 29, he has achieved more successes than many actors manage in a lifetime. His stellar career, he has said, can seem like a dream: “I’m just this guy from Rayners Lane, how the hell did this happen?”

Here he tells us how his latest role adds a new dimension to the roster of characters he has played, and how he sees his career developing.

Dev, how did you get involved in The Personal History of David Copperfield?

I skipped this classic growing up, so I didn’t know anything about it. Then I sat down with Armando and he laid out this incredible story and his vision for it – he was such a big fan of this book – and even though I hadn’t read the script yet, I had already said yes at that point because I was so eager to work with him, I totally trusted him. Armando is the biggest Dickens fan and when he talks about David’s story he does so with this childlike enthusiasm that just draws you into that world.

Tell us about David Copperfield’s path in life.

It’s his journey to become a writer and it’s also an ode to friendship. On his way up the elevator to success, he sends it back down to bring along the people who helped him. That’s David’s life story. He couldn’t have done it without all these amazing people around him and the story’s strength is acknowledging the people that got you there.

Armando Iannucci has said that he always wanted to cast you in this story even though it’s set in 1840 – that he always thought of you as David Copperfield and wanted people in the film to behave as though it’s taking place now.

I was so lucky that Armando believed in me when I didn’t believe in me. I was: “How are people going to react towards seeing someone like me in this world?” Everybody keeps talking about diversity, but I prefer the word representation. Now we’re going to have a whole new generation of youth watching this film and hopefully they’ll see a face on the screen that they can relate to. It becomes accessible to a whole load more people.

You’ve spoken in the past about having mixed feelings about playing characters who are distinctively Indian.

It can be difficult. I want to be able to play characters whose ethnic background has nothing to do with their place in the story. When I was studying in school, I deliberately tried to avoid my Indian origins. I just wanted to be a cool dude from London who happens to be of Indian background. But after shooting several films in India (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Lion, The Wedding Guest) I saw how important it was for me to have gone to India and that understanding my roots was helpful in getting to know myself better. Working over there can be chaotic at times but I love that kind of madness. I feel really alive when I’m there.

You have several major new projects in development and you’re also planning on directing your first film later this year. How do you feel about your career these days?

I think I’ve reached a point where I’m much more satisfied with the work I’m doing. Also, just as importantly, I’m enjoying it more and I’m better able to take it all in and appreciate it. When you’re trying to build your career, you’re often so caught up in that process that you don’t really stop to reflect on it.

You’ve been living more in Los Angeles lately. Do you ever miss your old life in London and your family?

I’m trying to make sure I spend more time with my family back home, although I’ve been working a lot lately, so that always makes it hard. But I enjoy spending time back in London and whenever I’m with my family I feel more grounded and reconnected in different ways to my youth.

How do you see your career going forward?

I think that I’m much better at understanding what I need to do, and that I should learn to trust my instincts more when it comes to finding the right roles. I started out very young in this business and it’s taken me time to figure out how the process works. The biggest lesson you learn is how to say no and turn down work.

Great roles and films are difficult to come by for any actor. And of course, when you don’t fit into certain categories it’s even more difficult. You also don’t want to play the goofy sidekick or best friend kind of characters any more. I’ve been working on new projects such as Green Knight and The Personal History of David Copperfield, where I am playing very different and distinctive kinds of characters. This is the kind of career I want to have. I feel much more in control – at least to the extent that any actor has control over the kind of work he gets to do!