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Image source: StarsUnfolded

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Freida Pinto Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth18 October 1984

Age40 Years

BirthplaceMumbai, Maharashtra, India

ProfessionModel, Actress

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseCory Tran

FamilyMother: Sylvia Pinto; Father: Frederick Pinto; Sister: Sharon Pinto

Freida Pinto Biography

Freida Pinto is an Indian actress and model who rose to international prominence with her debut film role in Slumdog Millionaire. Born and raised in Mumbai

Early life and background

Freida Selena Pinto was born on 18 October 1984 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Raised in a middle-class Mangalorean Catholic family, she attended Carmel of St. Joseph School before going on to St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai. Pinto completed a degree in the arts with a major in English literature and a minor in psychology.

From a young age she was interested in performance: she trained in salsa and Indian classical dance and took part in amateur theatre during college. After graduation she turned to modelling, joining Elite Model Management India in 2005 and working on television endorsements and commercial campaigns while pursuing acting opportunities.

Career

Pinto’s first television role came on the travel series Full Circle, which aired from 2006 to 2008 and took her to locations including Fiji, Afghanistan, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Her breakthrough in film arrived after a series of auditions: in 2007 she was chosen from a group of models to read for the female lead in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire. The film, released in 2008, introduced Pinto to global audiences and earned her ensemble recognition and an individual breakthrough performance award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Following that breakout, Pinto expanded into a mix of mainstream and art-house work. In 2010 she appeared in Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and in the same year took a lead role in Miral. In 2011 she had multiple releases, including Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Trishna. She also appeared in the 2013 Bruno Mars music video Gorilla and in documentary and advocacy projects such as Girl Rising. After a brief lull she returned to film with Desert Dancer (2014) and later played roles in Love Sonia (2018) and other international productions.

Throughout her career she has navigated cross-cultural casting challenges and has spoken about the perceptions that followed her Slumdog Millionaire role. Her early career included hundreds of auditions for both Bollywood and Hollywood projects before her film breakthrough.

Public profile

Pinto’s profile extended beyond acting into fashion and advocacy. In 2009 she was named among People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People and featured in Vogue’s Top Ten Most Stylish Women. She has been involved with campaigns focused on girls’ education and women’s empowerment: in 2012 she joined Plan International’s Because I am a Girl initiative as a Global Ambassador, and in 2013 she took part in Gucci’s Chime for Change fundraising clip and worked with the Call to Action – Girl Rising campaign alongside global figures. In 2014 she spoke at the Girl Summit in London, calling for progress against female genital mutilation and child marriage, and in 2016 she joined the nonprofit We Do It Together to support films and documentaries that promote women’s empowerment.

Personal life

Pinto grew up the daughter of Frederick Pinto, who worked in banking, and Sylvia Pinto, who has served as a school principal. She has one sister, Sharon Pinto, who works as a news producer. Pinto has spoken about enjoying movies, music, tennis and reading, and she is known to be fond of dogs.

Her relationships have been public at times: she was engaged to Rohan Antao in 2007 and later dated actor Dev Patel. Pinto revealed in October 2021 that she married photographer Cory Tran during the Covid-19 lockdown. She and Tran became parents to a son named Rumi-Ray in October 2021.

Latest updates

In recent years Pinto has balanced acting work with advocacy. Her more recent screen appearances include Love Sonia (2018). She continues to be active in campaigns and events that focus on girls’ education and women’s rights, and she shares personal moments such as photos with dogs on social media.

Career highlights

Debut film: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
TV debut: Full Circle (2006)
Awards: Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival; Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (both for Slumdog Millionaire)

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Freida Pinto, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Love Sonia

Indian film in which Pinto appears alongside a cast including Mrunal Thakur, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao and Anupam Kher.

2018
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Career Highlights

  1. Breakthrough role as Latika in Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
  2. Joined Elite Model Management India and worked in television endorsements before acting
  3. Appeared in Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) and Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
  4. Global Ambassador for Plan International’s Because I am a Girl campaign
  5. Spoke at the Girl Summit in London advocating an end to FGM and child marriage
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Freida Pinto born?

18 October 1984

What is Freida Pinto known for?

Model, Actress

What is Freida Pinto’s marital status?

Married

Who is Freida Pinto married to?

Cory Tran