Movie StarofIndia
PModel turned actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas on her career, her showbiz marriage and why she was moved to praise the Scottish Government
RIYANKA Chopra Jonas has always believed in hard work – from winning Miss World in 2000 to carving an acting career from Bollywood to Hollywood.
She even snagged a pop star husband in Nick Jonas, and they’ve become one of the most talked-about celebrity couples in the world.
So it was no surprise the 38-year-old actress has worked on two films during the Covid pandemic – The Matrix 4 with Keanu Reeves and Text For You with Outlander Scot Sam Heughan.
But Priyanka, who shot both films in Europe, admitted she was worried about catching the virus.
She said: “As much as I am excited about going back on set, I’m also very concerned.
“Nick is a Type 1 diabetic and I am asthmatic so you think what the possibilities of that could be a lot. It’s a very scary thought.”
Priyanka finished filming Text For You in London on Sunday after a three-month shoot. One of the first images from the romantic film was her kissing Sam’s character but she insisted it was a Covid-safe set.
She said: “We have to have a very small crew. Everyone has to maintain 6ft distance and be gloved up with PPE.
“Even with five people, it kind of feels scary, even with the rapid testing and everything that sets are doing. The only way to do it is to create a bubble where no one leaves until you finish.”
Nick, 28, was with her during the filming and has a cameo in Text For You. They married two years ago in traditional Hindu and Christian ceremonies which caught the attention of the world. She said: “There was such an amazing reception to our wedding and the pictures that we put out.
“I feel like there was so much love and affection to the fact that two completely different cultures can come together in a very harmonious way.
“It signifies some sort of hope that different cultures can co-exist harmoniously in a beautiful way.”
Nick had huge success in Disney Channel’s Camp Rock films and series Jonas before a successful music career with his brothers Kevin and Joe, who is now married to Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner.
Much of the social media chatter is about the 10-year age difference between Priyanka and Nick and whether they’ll have children.
She wants to start a family but feels
As a teen I was bullied in school. I went back to India because of it PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS ON LIFE IN THE US
the pressure of everyone waiting. As for the age difference, she laughed and said: “I just feel people talk about it a lot more when it’s a woman who is older.
“Most guys end up marrying younger women and it becomes a conversation when I guess a woman is older.
“It never was a conversation for us. In fact, I call him ‘Old Man Jonas’. He is an old soul.”
The actress, who was born in Jamshedpur to parents who were Indian army physicians, seems to be ramping up her work rate.
She is already starring as the baddie in Netflix’s kids’ adventure film We Can Be Heroes and will also be seen on the streaming platform from January 22 in rags-to-riches film The White Tiger.
She said: “There’s no free lunch in the world. You have to work that hard to attain that credibility.
“You meet people who sit and say, ‘Oh my gosh I really wanted it, but I never got an opportunity.’
“You have to have faith in yourself to create opportunities.”
She has practised what she preaches. Because of her parents’ work, she and her younger brother lived in eight different regions in India until looking to study western music, she moved to the US at 13 to live with her aunt in Massachusetts, then to New York.
Her first time in the US wasn’t a happy one because of racial abuse.
The star said: “I felt very different. I was bullied when I was in school as a teenager. I went back to India because of it.”
Now in one of the world’s most highprofile interracial relationships – up there with the likes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – Priyanka gives her take on why some people attack couples like them.
She said: “In our world today, sometimes we’re scared of ‘different’.
“As soon as someone who is different comes in front of us, we’d rather not offend them or not say the wrong thing and so we create a sort of distance.
“We should create curiosity in our kids. If you see something different – ask about it. Ask a question, make a friend.”
After finishing her education at an army school in Bareilly she won the local beauty pageant and her mum entered her for Femina Miss India in 2000.
She came second but went on to win Miss India World and then the Miss World pageant in London that year, aged 18.
This led to work in Bollywood movies, becoming one of India’s biggest stars in films like Agneepath and Barfi! before becoming the first South Asian woman to take the lead role in a US network series with Quantico in 2014.
In 2017, she got her Hollywood breakthrough in the Baywatch reboot alongside Dwayne Johnson.
The actress is now using her standing as a global icon to empower women and girls around the world.
In November, after Scotland VILLAIN In Baywatch movie in 2017 became the first country to allow free access to period products, she told her nearly 60million Instagram followers: “This is amazing! Lead the way, Scotland!”
The Unicef goodwill ambassador explained the importance of her role as a celebrity with a platform to reach millions.
She said: “We’re a means to an end. We’re not an end.
“We’re not in politics so we’re not political. But at the same time it’s very important to stand for peace and to stand for integrity and to stand for humanity.”
We Can Be Heroes is streaming on Netflix now. The White Tiger starts streaming on the same platform from January 22.