Priyanka Chopra Jonas reveals she never expected the on-screen representation she sees today

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has revealed that she never expected the on-screen rendering she sees today and despite her success, she feels unstable in an acting career.

The actress, 40, who started acting in Bollywood films, confessed that she ‘never’ expected a crossover between Hindi films and Hollywood to happen when she started.

She continued The Radio Times podcast: ‘I never expected to see someone on TV who looked like me. The bar was so low. We had Hindi movies in India and I was like, “Oh, that’s ours and this is theirs.”

‘As a child, that distinction was already clear. When I came to America, I started looking for my identity in English-language entertainment, because I saw many people in the country who looked like me.

“There are so many Indians, so many people from other countries, so many immigrants coming from all over the world. American entertainment did not represent the melting pot of its population.

Flashback: The actress, 40, who started acting in Bollywood films, confessed that she ‘never’ expected a crossover between Hindi films and Hollywood to happen when she started (pictured in 2000)

“With the explosion of the internet and streaming services, people from different countries can watch entertainment created from different parts of the world. I couldn’t have imagined that when I first came into the industry.’

Despite being one of the most famous actors in the world, Priyanka shared her doubts that she would ever succeed.

The former Miss World winner said: ‘My filmography consists of almost 70 films; I used to make four films a year because I didn’t want to miss a chance.

“I thought I’d wake up one morning and it would be taken from me. For actors, your job is always unstable.

“To have stability, you have to be able to create credibility with your work and deliver consistently. It takes time!’

It comes after Priyank opened up about getting equal pay with her male co-star for the first time in her career earlier this week.

The star first rose to prominence in Bollywood when she was 18, before heading to Hollywood in 2015 when she landed a role in the ABC thriller Quantico – the role in which she caught the eye of her now husband Nick.

She will now return to the action as a spy in the upcoming Amazon Prime series Citadel, alongside Game of Thrones heartthrob Richard Madden.

Talented: She’s now returning to the action as a spy in the upcoming Amazon Prime series Citadel, alongside Game of Thrones heartthrob Richard Madden

“If your contribution, time and what you bring to the table is the same as your male counterpart, there’s a very serious conversation to be had about compensation,” she said.

“It wasn’t a conversation I was encouraged to have for very long because it was just a given when I started in movies that your male counterpart would have a significantly higher salary. I think my generation of female actors really stood up for themselves,” she added.

Priyanka added that Bollywood stars including Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif have “really pushed the boundaries.”

She also praised Mindy Kaling for writing her own shows after not being cast, while also praising Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington and Nicole Kidman for creating roles for themselves.

While her promotional tour hasn’t taken her to Australia, she revealed she wants to visit when her husband’s band, The Jonas Brothers, is touring Down Under.

“I would love to take a Qantas flight because I love a long Qantas flight to Australia. I would really like to visit Melbourne; it’s one of my favorite cities,’ she said.

“I would really like to film somewhere in South Australia. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Australia. I like the country, I like the people, I like the culture. So whether it’s with Nick or not, I want to go to Australia.’

Iconic: King Charles III is on the cover of the Radio Times’ week 18 issue of 2023