Woody Allen signs up his 'Slumdog' star

Freida Pinto tipped to become director's latest muse after Oscarsuccess

His movie-making has cemented the careers of a host of actresseswho have gone on to claim Oscar success after starring in hiswhimsical comedies. Now, Woody Allen has adopted the Indian actressand star of Slumdog Millionaire, as his latest ingenue.

Allen, who famously uses the same female muses over and overagain, has cast Freida Pinto, 24, alongside established Hollywoodalumni including Naomi Watts, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Josh Brolin,who recently starred in the Coen brothers No Country for Old Men. Hestarts filming for the unnamed comedy in London this summer.

Fresh from her red-carpet triumph at the Oscars ceremony, whereshe wowed the crowds and international media, Pinto appeared on theAmerican morning news programme Today to speak about the role. Yes,its up in July. So thank you, Danny Boyle, for helping me take off,she said.

Boyle is the director of Slumdog Millionaire, which scooped eightOscars at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Penelope Cruzhad thanked Allen for giving her a role in his film Vicky CristinaBarcelona, for which she picked up an Oscar for best supportingactress. She also gave him credit for having written over all theseyears some of the greatest characters for women.

Despite the controversy Allen has stirred with his own tangledlove life he left the actress Mia Farrow after falling in love withher adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn in 1992 the New York-baseddirector has undoubtedly created some of the most memorable femalecharacters in cinema.

The director, a triple Oscar winner himself who has beennominated 17 times over his long career, has propelled numerousactresses on to Oscar glory. Aside from Cruz, Mira Sorvino also wonan Oscar for her role in Mighty Aphrodite. Dianne Wiest received anAcademy Award for Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway,while Diane Keaton, who starred in numerous films by Allen, won anOscar for Annie Hall in 1977.

Scarlett Johansson looked likely to become Allens next muse,being cast in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Match Point in 2005. Somein the industry are now speculating that Pinto may just have pippedher to that role, and that this collaboration may well lead toothers for the Mumbai actress.

Just days ago, ahead of the Oscars ceremony, Pinto said she wasincredibly nervous about her sudden fame. Its kind of nerve-wracking to be thinking you are going to be walking down the redcarpet and breathing the same air as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie,so Im just breathing and bracing myself for the big moment, shesaid.

She had not starred in a film before Boyle selected her for therole of Latika, a former slum child who falls in love with the leadcharacter, played by Dev Patel. But Pinto has created a stir in LosAngeles, with reports that her acting abilities and striking looksmake her an excellent candidate for breaking into Hollywood.

She started out on Indian television, featuring in adverts forchewing gum, and went on to anchor a travel show on ZeeInternational Asia Pacific. She recently signed up with thecelebrity agent Hylda Queally, who represents Cruz, Kate Winslet,Cate Blanchett and Marion Cotillard.

Leading ladies

Woodys muses

* In 1966, Woody Allen married Louise Lasser. They divorced twoyears later but she still played the leading role in four morefilms.

* In 1970, Allen cast Diane Keaton, right, in his Broadway playPlay It Again, Sam. During this time, they became romanticallyinvolved, and even after it ended he continued to cast her in hismovies. They remain good friends.

* Allen began a 12-year relationship with Mia Farrow from 1980,who he also cast in several leading roles.

* When Allen cast Dianne Wiest in 1986, she won a best supportingactress Academy Award. In 1994, she featured in Bullets OverBroadway.

* In 2005, Scarlett Johansson was cast by Allen in Match Pointand then a year later in Scoop, as well as playing a centralcharacter in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Woody Allen signs up his 'Slumdog' star

Freida Pinto tipped to become director's latest muse after Oscarsuccess

His movie-making has cemented the careers of a host of actresseswho have gone on to claim Oscar success after starring in hiswhimsical comedies. Now, Woody Allen has adopted the Indian actressand star of Slumdog Millionaire, as his latest ingenue.

Allen, who famously uses the same female muses over and overagain, has cast Freida Pinto, 24, alongside established Hollywoodalumni including Naomi Watts, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Josh Brolin,who recently starred in the Coen brothers No Country for Old Men. Hestarts filming for the unnamed comedy in London this summer.

Fresh from her red-carpet triumph at the Oscars ceremony, whereshe wowed the crowds and international media, Pinto appeared on theAmerican morning news programme Today to speak about the role. Yes,its up in July. So thank you, Danny Boyle, for helping me take off,she said.

Boyle is the director of Slumdog Millionaire, which scooped eightOscars at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Penelope Cruzhad thanked Allen for giving her a role in his film Vicky CristinaBarcelona, for which she picked up an Oscar for best supportingactress. She also gave him credit for having written over all theseyears some of the greatest characters for women.

Despite the controversy Allen has stirred with his own tangledlove life he left the actress Mia Farrow after falling in love withher adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn in 1992 the New York-baseddirector has undoubtedly created some of the most memorable femalecharacters in cinema.

The director, a triple Oscar winner himself who has beennominated 17 times over his long career, has propelled numerousactresses on to Oscar glory. Aside from Cruz, Mira Sorvino also wonan Oscar for her role in Mighty Aphrodite. Dianne Wiest received anAcademy Award for Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway,while Diane Keaton, who starred in numerous films by Allen, won anOscar for Annie Hall in 1977.

Scarlett Johansson looked likely to become Allens next muse,being cast in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Match Point in 2005. Somein the industry are now speculating that Pinto may just have pippedher to that role, and that this collaboration may well lead toothers for the Mumbai actress.

Just days ago, ahead of the Oscars ceremony, Pinto said she wasincredibly nervous about her sudden fame. Its kind of nerve-wracking to be thinking you are going to be walking down the redcarpet and breathing the same air as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie,so Im just breathing and bracing myself for the big moment, shesaid.

She had not starred in a film before Boyle selected her for therole of Latika, a former slum child who falls in love with the leadcharacter, played by Dev Patel. But Pinto has created a stir in LosAngeles, with reports that her acting abilities and striking looksmake her an excellent candidate for breaking into Hollywood.

She started out on Indian television, featuring in adverts forchewing gum, and went on to anchor a travel show on ZeeInternational Asia Pacific. She recently signed up with thecelebrity agent Hylda Queally, who represents Cruz, Kate Winslet,Cate Blanchett and Marion Cotillard.

Leading ladies

Woodys muses

* In 1966, Woody Allen married Louise Lasser. They divorced twoyears later but she still played the leading role in four morefilms.

* In 1970, Allen cast Diane Keaton, right, in his Broadway playPlay It Again, Sam. During this time, they became romanticallyinvolved, and even after it ended he continued to cast her in hismovies. They remain good friends.

* Allen began a 12-year relationship with Mia Farrow from 1980,who he also cast in several leading roles.

* When Allen cast Dianne Wiest in 1986, she won a best supportingactress Academy Award. In 1994, she featured in Bullets OverBroadway.

* In 2005, Scarlett Johansson was cast by Allen in Match Pointand then a year later in Scoop, as well as playing a centralcharacter in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.