Priyanka Chopra Jonas recalls ‘terrifying’ leap to Hollywood

Priyanka Chopra recently reflected on the “terrifying” leap she took at age 30, abandoning her flourishing Bollywood career to start from scratch in Hollywood.

In a candid interview, she recalled the vulnerability of her early days in the Western entertainment industry, where she initially debuted as a singer before re-establishing herself as a global screen star.

“To restart your career in your 30s is terrifying. I was secure. I was doing well financially. I was established. And I chose to blow it up,” the 43-year-old former Miss World said.

Priyanka moved to the US around 2015, right after the release and success of her films Mary Kom (2014), Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) and Bajirao Mastani (2015).

The “Fashion” actor said she faced stereotypes when she moved to Hollywood.

“People would be like, ‘Oh, you speak English well’. There was a preconceived notion of me whenever I went in for a meeting before I walked into the room,” she added.

Also read: Shanaya Kapoor wants to explore everything

Priyanka shared how she did not want to give in to novelty casting, aiming instead for “borderless entertainment.” She wanted to “cross-pollinate with actors from different countries,” pushing for a space where talent isn’t restricted by geography.

She made her acting debut in Hollywood as the lead in “Quantico” (2015-2018), followed by supporting roles in big banner films “Baywatch” (2017) and “The Matrix Resurrections” (2021). She later went on to bag major roles in massive Hollywood productions, including “Heads of State” (2025). She will be next seen in upcoming pirate film “The Bluff” alongside Karl Urban where she plays a mother in the 19th-century Caribbean.

She is also returning for Season 2 of Amazon’s “Citadel” and will also be seen in director SS Rajamouli’s “Varanasi”, set to release later this year. The film features actors Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran in pivotal characters.

Varanasi, described as a time-travelling adventure rooted in Indian history, marks Priyanka’s return to Indian cinema after eight years, since her last release “The Sky Is Pink” (2019).