When Priyanka Chopra decided to move to the United States to pursue a career in Hollywood, she wasn’t just moving across the ocean; she was moving across a massive social divide. In India, she was a “Khan-level” superstar—a Miss World winner with dozens of hit films and a security detail. In Los Angeles, however, she was just another actress with a “thick” resume that many casting directors didn’t know how to read.
One of the most grounding stories from Priyanka’s early days in LA is her willingness to take meetings that most stars of her stature would find insulting. She has often spoken about how she had to swallow her pride and meet with assistants to the assistants just to get her foot in the door.
In the rigid hierarchy of Hollywood, an A-list star usually only meets with studio heads or top-tier directors. But Priyanka understood a fundamental truth: if you want to break into a new ecosystem, you have to play by its rules. She didn’t walk into rooms demanding respect based on her past; she walked in ready to audition. She sat in waiting rooms, took the “general meetings” that lead nowhere, and pitched herself to junior executives who were younger and less experienced than her.
Most people who reach the top of their field develop an ego that prevents them from being a “beginner” again. Priyanka’s secret weapon was her lack of entitlement. By meeting with junior staff, she built relationships with the people who would eventually become the power players of tomorrow.
She treated herself like a fresh graduate. She reportedly told her agents to “not tell them who I am in India—let them see what I can do here.” For every Quantico or Baywatch, there were likely dozens of rooms where she was told “no” or where the person across the desk didn’t even bother to Google her before the meeting.
“I was willing to be a newcomer again. I was willing to walk into a room and introduce myself.” — A sentiment often echoed by Priyanka in her interviews.
The results of this “assistant-level” hustle speak for themselves. She became the first South Asian woman to headline a network drama series in the US with Quantico. She transitioned into major film franchises, started her own production company (Purple Pebble Pictures), and became a fixture at the Met Gala and the Oscars.
Priyanka’s journey serves as a powerful reminder for anyone looking to switch careers or take a massive leap into the unknown: You are never too “big” to do the small work. Her success wasn’t just about talent; it was about the grit it took to sit in a tiny office, drink bad coffee, and pitch herself to a junior assistant until someone finally said, “Let’s give her a shot.” To know such latest updates tuned to tellyboosters.com Thank you!
