Dev Patel felt like he could move away from stereotypical Asian characters after starring in the 2016 film Lion.

The British actor, who kickstarted his career with the TV show Skins and 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, felt like he was pigeonholed as the “goofy” sidekick until he played Saroo Brierley, an Indian man who tries to find his birth parents, in the 2016 movie.

Patel, who won a BAFTA and scored an Oscar nomination for the role, cited that film as the moment his career changed in an interview on BBC Asian Network.

“That film was the first time I really got to be soulful on camera,” he said. “It really changed my career and made people see me differently than that goofy, awkward dude in Slumdog (Millionaire) and Skins.”

Patel started writing his action film Monkey Man 12 years ago in an attempt to broaden the opportunities available to British Asian actors.

“When I started writing this, the only roles I was getting offered were to be the comedy sidekick or the guy that hacks the mainframe for the big, cool guy,” he shared.

“As a huge fan of the genre, I was so frustrated not to be represented,” Patel added. “I wanted to broaden our horizons so we’re not fighting over the same role.”

In Monkey Man, which he also directed, Patel stars as an underground fighter who embarks on a revenge mission against the city’s elite.

The film is currently in cinemas.

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