Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who recently attended the Bridge Summit in the UAE, addressed the stereotypes that actors from eastern countries face in the West.
When discussing how actors reject lucrative offers that don’t align with their long-term vision, she referenced Matthew McConaughey, who turned down multi-million dollar rom-com roles for more diverse projects. Priyanka shared her own struggles with typecasting in the American entertainment industry.
She stated, “So when I started looking for or seeking work in America, I cannot tell you how many times I said no to being, you know, the Indian girl who is supposed to speak with the exaggerated accent, be just pretty and, you know, sort of ornamental, that girl. And I was so surprised by how many characters were written with that stereotype. And I really had to fight that for a couple of years until I got Quantico, which is a TV show of mine, where I played an FBI agent.”
Transformative Role in Quantico
Priyanka emphasized how Quantico was a turning point because it was not defined by ethnicity.
She elaborated, “I could have been from anywhere. My background could have been anything. It was written for an American person. And I just had to, you know, play an American girl. And I’m an actor. I could do that. But it took that many no’s for me to get my first break, which changed everything for me, because now I was seen just as a commercial actor, not as the Indian actor. But I had to fight that stereotype.”
She acknowledged the challenges faced by many talented actors from eastern countries battling stereotypes in Hollywood. “But, you know, like, we’re out there. There’s so many of us now making and doing so much incredible work. But that was really tough,” she noted.
Advice for Aspiring Actors
Priyanka also offered guidance for aspiring actors and professionals, stating, “So I think you have to decide. What’s the cohort you want to live with? What’s the cohort you want to work with? What kind of room do you want to be in? What are the kind of people you want to be surrounded by? And then your decisions become the basis of that. The no and the yes become the basis that.”
