This Article is From Apr 12, 2018

When Priyanka Chopra Lost A Hollywood Film Because 'They Wanted Someone Who's Not Brown'

"My agent broke it down for me. Like, 'I think, Priy, they meant that they wanted someone who's not brown," said Priyanka Chopra

Advertisement
Entertainment Written by

Priyanka Chopra is all set to return on TV with Quantico 3 (courtesy priyankachopra)

Highlights

  • 'She's the wrong physicality,' Priyanka's agent was told
  • "Do I need to be skinnier?" Priyanka said she thought
  • "It affected me," she added
New Delhi: Priyanka Chopra is a boss lady when it comes to her career choices - there's no two way of saying it. So, when she says she was rejected for a project in Hollywood for her skin colour, it's completely okay to be at a loss for words. In an interview with InStyle Magazine, the 35-year-old actress, who headlines American TV show Quantico, said she lost a role in Hollywood simply for being "brown" and her agent was intimated about the rejection in 'very polite' terms, we must say - Priyanka was considered unsuitable for the role owing to her "wrong physicality." Speaking to InStyle, Priyanka said: "I was out for a movie, and somebody (from the studio) called one of my agents and said, 'She's the wrong-what word did they used?-'physicality'."

Priyanka said her immediate reaction was to figure out what exactly was the reason behind her not getting the part, which was soon enough simplified by her agent. "So, in my defence as an actor, I'm like, 'Do I need to be skinnier? Do I need to get in shape? Do I need to have abs?' Like, what does 'wrong physicality' mean? And then my agent broke it down for me. Like, 'I think, Priy, they meant that they wanted someone who's not brown.' It affected me," InStyle quoted Priyanka as saying.

In her interview, Priyanka also mentioned that an inevitable part of being a successful star in the showbiz industries (back home and in the West) is an ongoing battle with pay disparity, especially if it's Hollywood and "she's a woman of color". "No one will say that a woman is getting paid less because she's a woman of color, but the numbers mostly end up reflecting that," InStyle quoted Priyanka as saying.

Advertisement
Earlier in 2016, when Priyanka was shooting for the second season of Quantico, the actress reportedly had a brush with racism at an US airport. "Priyanka said that whoever goes to Hollywood after her should be careful about the kind of roles they do," DNA quoted a source as saying. Priyanka was reportedly questioned for sitting in the first class lounge at an US airport and was later apologised to.

Priyanka Chopra is currently in Ireland, busy shooting for Quantico 3, which premieres on April 26. Last year's Baywatch was her Hollywood debut and she has two more Hollywood films in the pipeline - Isn't It Romantic? and A Kid Like Jake. Priyanka Chopra is yet to announce her next Bollywood project.
 
Advertisement
Advertisement