Filmworld
Priyanka Chopra wanted to be part of American TV revolution
Washington, Aug 6
Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, set to star in ABC's new TV thriller
"Quantico", says she came on board because she wanted to be part of
American television which has the best content in the world.
Chopra
talked about her role in the FBI thriller that finds her character
framed for a terrorist attack at the Television Critics Association
press tour on Tuesday, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The show
premieres Sep 27.
"I had a holding deal with ABC because (casting
EVP) Keli Lee came to me in India while I was filming a movie," said
Chopra, who praised ABC's reputation for diverse casting.
"Of all
the content, the best content in the world was in American Television,
and I wanted to be part of that," she was quoted as saying.
And I
wanted to be cast for the respect of being an actor, not for the colour
of my skin. Going to school in America, I never saw anyone with my
colour skin (on TV)"
Chopra added that she got her pick of scripts at ABC and immediately went for Quantico.
"Any actress from any part of the world would want to play Alex Parrish. She's Jason Bourne in female form," she said.
Chopra also credited her interest in TV work to Kevin Spacey.
"I
was doing a master class with Kevin Spacey a couple of years ago," she
said. "I asked him, 'What [work] did you find most fascinating?' And he
said television, when I thought he would say theatre."
"I just don't know what Frank will do, It keeps you on your toes," she recalled him saying of his House of Cards character.
Chopra
said that she is similarly in the dark about what goes on with her
Quantico character. "They tell me nothing. Is that how TV works? That
you don't know? It's frighteningly exciting as an actor."
Chopra
lamented the 15-and 16-hour days she's been shooting in New York and
hoped the schedule wouldn't keep her from continuing to do films in
India.
"I do want to be able to do my movies and the show," she said. "I've always been able to multitask."