The world has enough people in it. To have a child, we weren’t guaranteed we were gonna make anything better but, to take a child of suffering like you boys were…give you a chance in the world - that’s something.

Dev Patel photographed by Chris Chapman for Deadline’s Oscar Nominees feature.

dec 🔥 sawyer

Sawyer: well i do like free drinks...

Sawyer: and people who like my face...

Sawyer: and i might've also been shocked to see a friendly face

Sawyer: i mean if you see someone you know and don't swipe right on them, isn't there like kind of a special place for you in hell?

Dec: Freebies are always a plus

Dec: honestly if you don't swipe on a friend then you're basically telling them your true feelings

Dec: tbh happened to me once in school, it was bad

dec 🔥 kaia

Kaia: can i be both?

Kaia: i don't want to miss out on either one

Dec: you mean you're all 4?

Dec: I could certainly try to workshop all 4 on you

Dev Patel (with Octavia Spencer) during Variety’s Actor on Actor

Straight after [Slumdog Millionaire], I looked around for substantial follow up or something and there wasn’t. There wasn’t. No one really knew how to package this big, floppy eared, gangly Indian dude into cinema.

GABRIELA + DEC

She turns towards him and immediately wraps her hand around his. Dec offers a sense of comfort that she still appreciates despite the many years of the two being inseparable. “I’m going to need a coffee and before you say anything, I am getting that disgusting pumpkin one full of sugar.”

She needs it. Nudging her chin towards a makeshift costume station, she smiles at him. “We can go there after that and make something pretty.” She would be using the hot glue guns and foregoing the sewing machines because she feared what type of mess she’d make of them.

-

“Oop-- Say no more.” Standing up straight, Dec does as he’s asked. He mimes zipping his lips for any further comment before making his way to the coffee counter, waving her to join him. After ordering two pumpkin-loaded coffees, he turns to lean against the pick-up section while observing the costume station in question.

“Actually, the fates align because I have a costume this year that isn’t in my arsenal,” he replies. “So I may need a favor and a keen eye if you wanna help me make this stupid half-mask.” Dec points to his face. “Phantom of the Opera. Yay or nay?”

for: @malhclmes​ where: the pizza shop i’m so sorry

“Whoa, is this a new sign?” Because he can’t help himself from visiting his brother when he’s working, even if he’d already eaten lunch an hour prior. That’s what pizza joint salads were for, right? “The ‘za is finally working in the neon. When did that update?”

JAS + DEC

“Murder house is cool too,” Jasper shrugs, more than a little amused by the juxtaposition between Dec’s obvious horror at Jas’s suggestion and the fact he knows about some random dude with a murder house off the top of his head. Jasper makes a mental note to look up H.H. Holmes and find this supposed movie, and then to force Dec to watch it with him.

He sits up straighter at the question, realizing suddenly he does actually know someone. “Oh my god,” he says, shaking his head in surprise, “wait, yeah, there’s this girl I met recently at that gallery who just started taking my stuff, she texted me a couple days ago that she’s having some big birthday party in a couple weeks. She’s super weird and her family definitely has money, we were bonding over how we secretly both still get rent help from our parents sometimes. I’m totally gonna ask her if she’d wanna get a magician, I’ll like really sell it.” Buzzed with energy, he stands up on the couch for no real reason and hits the joint again, gently bouncing on the cushions. “Can I actually be your assistant? Genuinely think I’d be so good.”

-

“No, I think --- murder houses of any kind are very not cool, because then that means people die and inconvenienced neighbors who think their cats are going mental but really it’s just their neighbor, but I understand in theory that it may be for a movie. Gave us magic enthusiasts a bad name because people can’t really differentiate the two.”

Because that matters, somehow, in this grand scheme.

Dec sits up in his chair, fumbling with his phone to send a quick text to his roommate before returning back to the conversation when Jas has an epiphany. He stops, stares, waiting for a punchline that doesn’t come. “Wait, are you serious?” Although he doesn’t want to inconvient Jas at the prospect of a gig for himself, the money is there --- proverbially, really, and a willing assistant has him dreaming a little too big. “I’m --- yeah, of course you can be my assistant, are you joking? You have charm, you’ve got personality, you’re gonna dazzle. I mean, so long as you’re cool with it being a little dorky, then I say you’re hired.” He pauses. “Do you have any bizarre outfits on hand?”

dec 🔥 dj.

DJ: this is sooo deja vu would you believe i keep having this conversation about that phrase 🤭

DJ: why aren't you swiping on me in real life with this kind of forthcoming swiftness 🤨 do not ask me what that entails btw i have no idea

DJ: i've received so many dick pics it's raining phalluses in here

DJ: i think i need to change something in my bio 😂

Dec: Do you?? I'm curious as to why

Dec: Do I look like someone who's charmingly forthcoming in person? I barely handle calling the takeout guy who won't put himself on DoorDash

Dec: tl;dr i'm a coward and we live together

Dec: I'd say we can compare notes on unflattering dick pics in our mentions on a Chrome cast to the tv but I don't know if that's productive

dec 🔥 sawyer

Sawyer: not as gutted as you could've been if that clown had caught up to you 🔪 🤡

Sawyer: yeah well to match you kinda had to swipe right on me too you know...

Sawyer: 🤨🤨🤨

Dec: You did save my life, so I owe you a drink for that

Dec: I was shocked to see a friendly face and I happen to like your face so it was a win-win

Dev Patel as Saroo Brierley in Lion (2016)

dec 🔥 dj.

DJ: the walls in here are sooo criminally thin

DJ: what else have you been hearing 👀

DJ: i literally could not swipe by you, my body and soul would not let me!!!

DJ: gotten any freaks yet 😏

Dec: lmao i plead the fifth or whatever they say

Dec: I appreciate it, technically I swiped first so the feeling is very mutual

Dec: Surprisingly, only one. Everyone else has been quite keen on hearing fun facts

Dec: wbu?

dec 🔥 sawyer

Sawyer: no offense babes but after seeing the way you almost took out those kids tryna run from that clown...

Sawyer: i think this ship has sailed 🛥️

Dec: wounded, sawyer, absolutely gutted

Dec: I also didn't anticipate you swiping on me 😅

dec 🔥 zara

Zara: A fifth more ambiguous option usually

Zara: But nothing excites me more than a good random fact

Dec: You're not going to believe how many I have up my sleeve then

Dec: like did you know it's actually a common occurrence to retire on a cruise ship for life rather than in a 55+ community?

dec 🔥 dj.

DJ: https://youtu.be/2cMStWtP8yA

Dec: You know I could hear you choosing that video in the other room, right?

Dec: I could not understand why our hallway was possessed by Nicki Minaj, now I know

Dec: Now I can't ask "u up?" 😂

Dev Patel photographed by Paul Farrell 

tinder match 🔥 open!

Dec: Are you a 'hey', pick-up line, question, or random fact type of person?