When I became Miss World, I couldn't believe I had won it. I used to sleep with my crown because I was scared someone would steal it. In a minute, the world changed for me.
— Priyanka Chopra
Since I came from another part of the world, I expected many differences in the way things worked, but at the end of the day, there actually were more similarities between the American and Indian entertainment industry: the same chaos, creativity, passion, and genius all around.
To do anything with someone like Bono or someone would be like, you know, a milestone, I think, as a musician.
The writers are the backbone in television, like in film, but eventually, as an actress, I can bring something.
It's a terrible thing to say, and I probably shouldn't say it, but I'm a lazy person when it comes to physical exertion. I don't like gyms unless I need to for a movie or a part or a show.
Generalizing a type of people is really primitive.
My favorite memory about 'Baywatch' is the music. That was my favorite part. It was, like, my calling. And to watch everyone run in slow motion.
It is in my nature to give the work I have all the discipline and due diligence that I am capable of.
When I was in high school in America, I didn't see anyone who looked like me - hardly ever. I just thought that was normal because you don't know any better. So I used to idolize so many other people, like Sarah Michelle Gellar on 'Buffy.'
I don't look at Hollywood as a big break. Indian film stands on its own.
Whenever I pick a script, I make sure I'm choosing something I would want to watch. And 'Quantico' was something I'd definitely want to watch. As soon as I read the pilot - and I read 26 this season - I knew this was it.
The acceptance of 'Quantico' so far has been really great. At the moment, I'm just straddling two continents far away from each other, with very active careers in both!
When I grew up, I never saw anyone looking like me on TV, you know? I'm so glad to see a lot more of us on television, whether it's Mindy Kaling or it's Irrfan Khan or Freida Pinto. You know, I hope, like, little girls across the world can just look at me and say, 'Ah, I want to be that!' Indian or not, it shouldn't matter.
When I won Miss World, I wasn't even 18, and I only remember, like, I thought of it as a day in the races or something. It didn't feel like it was Miss World of the Millennium Year, the change of the century. I didn't understand the magnitude of it for at least a couple of years.
As an entertainer, I try to do projects that reflect a woman having the ability to stand up for herself.
I can't eradicate poverty, but at least for the people around me, I can help make sure no child is denied a dream.
To be a philanthropist, you don't have to be Nelson Mandela. You just have to look around you and ask, 'What little bit can I do? Whose life can I touch?'
Any transition is easier if you believe in yourself and your talent.
There is no way I could have predicted the amazing reception and support that 'Quantico' has received this season or even the way that I have been welcomed into the fold here in America.
I sang the 'Sunday Night Football' theme song two years in a row - my first part in American culture, although I still don't know anything about American football.
I've shot all over the world with crews from all over the world. The work ethic is the same. Bollywood is my career; it's what I do.
In New York, a 13-year-old Indian girl came up to me crying, saying to everyone nearby, 'This is where I come from.' It's easy to forget that actors have the ability to instill a sense of self in viewers. That's the greatest compliment.
Guess girls are normally blonde, blue-eyed bombshells. It was nice to be a brunette one.
I think art cannot be planned. The audience is too smart to get the dishonesty or 'too much planning' thing. I am not a legend, but I want to be one. I want to be known as an achiever. There is so much more that I can do.
My career is the sum of the decisions I have made. Everyone can work hard, but I work on my own terms. I stand my ground, and once I have committed to anything, I give my 150 per cent. I don't take my work for granted, ever. I know that, forget me, no matter where anyone is, everyone is dispensable. Why would I think I am indispensable then?
I hate the term 'Bollywood,' because we're not a 'me too' of Hollywood. The Indian film industry is prolific.
I decided a long time ago that if I was going to do anything internationally, it would be mainstream pop entertainment - and that's exactly what 'Quantico' is. The diversity is just reflective of the world today - look around you: this is what America looks like. This is what the world looks like. It's time Hollywood embraced that.
'In My City' was my first single. It has a very special place in my heart, and I am beyond excited to bring the amazing energy of the track to the NFL's passionate fans.
I'm different. I don't speak perfect American. I do have a lilt of an Indian accent. I thought, 'Maybe the world's not okay with what I bring, being Indian.'
You can be an absolute woman and also be smart and tough and not lose your femininity.
I think there's a social responsibility that comes with a public platform. Because of the position that I've been put in, I think it's important to use my voice to do as much as I can.
When I was 13, I would come visit my aunt and uncle in New York. I decided I wanted to live with them after seeing my cousin's school. Honestly, I just wanted to go to a school where I didn't have to wear uniforms, and my mom said okay.
Education has always been very important to me. It means you don't have to depend on anyone else.
I believe in myself and my art so much. I've always trusted destiny. Wherever it takes me, I just work damn hard at the opportunity.
With feature films, it's a one-time judgment once your film is premiered. Reviews, box office, and then you move on to the next project. With TV, you are being rated and judged weekly for an eight-month stretch.
Justin Timberlake - I'd like to learn a little more about his suit and tie.
I have no time to write songs.
I'm pretty sure 'Nutty Professor' will happen to me at some point. And when it does, I will go to the gym.
I wasn't the prettiest girl in the room, but I learned to carry myself with confidence - that's how you make the best impression on people.
When I became Miss World, movie offers started coming to me in India.
Yes, I play this evil, mean character Victoria in 'Baywatch.' It is so much fun. I didn't want my first film in America to be just another role.
Alex, who I play on 'Quantico' - that part wasn't written for an Indian girl. So they changed her background to make her half Indian and half Caucasian.
I've been used to being my own boss for a really long time, so I don't take to authority very well.
In features, we're languid: we shoot one or two scenes over, like, three days. In TV, the pace is so different. You're shooting ten scenes a day, going way into the future or way back into the past. It's complete madness, and I'm just trying to keep up with this really electric pace.
It's almost negligible sleep and insane amounts of plane rides, but I'm doing it. Your body is screaming out to you to not abuse it so much, but I love what I do in my Hindi films as well as with 'Quantico,' and I want to be able to balance both.
I can never be incognito... but I love it!
I had a holding deal with ABC to find me a show, and I was very clear about the kind of show I wanted to do, because Indian people have always been seen as - well, we've been put in a box, about who we should be like.
I've been doing a lot of work on female rights, especially adolescent rights. I've been to a lot of schools where the UNICEF had set up villages in India, and it's an eye-opening experience.
The best part of working on 'Baywatch' is to be the villain of the movie. I don't think The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson, has ever had anyone who's been mean to him.
I taught myself confidence. When I'd walk into a room and feel scared to death, I'd tell myself, 'I'm not afraid of anybody.' And people believed me. You've got to teach yourself to take over the world.
