Washington, Jan 29 : After receiving immense praise for his role in Golden Globe winner `Slumdog Millionaire', Dev Patel has expressed his desire to work with his ideal star - Will Smith.

Patel confessed that he's a huge fan of the `I'm Legend' actor - and once waited at a premiere for three hours just to get a photo with the actor.

And now he has used interviews following Slumdog success to urge Smith to get in touch.

London, Jan 20 : Dev Patel, known for his role in Golden Globe winning ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, almost goofed up in front of Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway when she praised him for his part in the film.

At a recent awards bash, the stunning beauty told Dev, 18, she was a fan of his in his Oscar-tipped film.

“I love you in your movie so much! You’re so beautiful in it. You broke my heart. It was gorgeous,” The Daily Express quoted her as saying.

Washington, Jan 19: `Slumdog Millionaire' star Dev Patel has called co-star Freida Pinto his soulmate for helping him cope with the instant stardom.

The 18-year-old, who played the role of Jamal in the rags-to-riches tale, rose to international stardom with his debut film along with critical acclaim and a number of industry awards and nominations.

He credits co-star and ex-model Pinto for helping him deal with the instant media attention.

London, Dec 19 : Actor Dev Patel, who made his debut with the highly acclaimed film ''Slumdog Millionaire'', has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2009 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards.

The 18-year-old actor has already won an award for the best newcomer at British Independent Film Awards.

The movie, narrating the journey of a poor Indian boy who wins a game show fortune has also garnered a nomination in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

However, Meryl Streep-starrer ''Doubt'' has emerged as the main contender after picking up five nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, reports Daily Express.