As one of the only actors to make the transition from Bollywood to Hollywood, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has gone on to become one of the most accomplished South Asian women in the industry. To mark her new global partnership with Max Factor, which starts with her campaign for the brand's new Facefinity All Day Flawless Airbrush Finish 3-in-1 Foundation, Priyanka opens up to GLAMOUR’s Emily Maddick about her relationship with confidence, her mental health and the surprising life advice she lives by.
“I choose to feel confident. I don't rely on confidence coming to me,” declares Priyanka Chopra Jonas, a woman who is world-renowned for her poise, dignity, power and for exuding remarkable confidence. “I think over time I've realised that you don't need confidence every day. You can be vulnerable, you can be sad… But when you need to feel confident, you have to be able to get rid of all the noise and focus on what you bring to the table – it’s like a skill,” she says.
Confidence is one of the first things Priyanka and I discuss as we meet over Zoom on a sunny morning in London to discuss her new role as global ambassador of Max Factor. “It’s very exciting to be in this partnership with them, I have a feeling we’ll do some fun things together!” she says.
As we chat, it’s reassuring to hear that even a woman of this standing, with over 70 movies under her belt, alongside a brief music career and work as a philanthropist, can ever have moments when she doesn’t feel secure in her own self-worth. “I think as human beings, we can't help but notice our flaws, and we get caught up on our failures instead of recognising our strengths,” she confides.
As we talk about her new partnership with Max Factor, the 38-year-old tells me that the power of makeup to transform is something she has long used to her advantage. “Makeup, for both men and women, can be something that helps you feel confident. You can use it in so many ways. You can use it to express yourself. You can use it to feel good. You can use it to hide flaws and feel more confident,” she says. “I started wearing makeup when I was four years old because I stuck my fingers into all of my mom's lipsticks and put it all over my face,” she recalls, laughing.
Born in Jamshedpur in India to physician parents, Priyanka became a household name in India in the early 2000s after winning Miss India, and then Miss World, before going on to dominate Bollywood. She moved to Los Angeles in 2015 and became one of the first South Asian actors to crack Hollywood, before marrying musician Nick Jonas in 2018. Her most recent 2021 Netflix megahit White Tiger was Oscar-nominated, and she not only starred in it, but also served as executive producer.
But it was growing up in India that Priyanka credits with starting her early obsession with makeup and beauty. “India is known for beautiful women. I think the relationship I have with beauty has definitely been magnified by my heritage,” she states. I note that her own skin is flawless, to which she also credits her heritage, “It is a little genetic. I mean, brown don't frown!” she says, laughing again.
As an Indian woman in Hollywood, Priyanka has used her profile to defy stereotypes, so I wonder what changes she has seen in recent years in terms of diversity and representation? “I feel like the change that I've seen in the industry is there's a conversation,” she says. “Now there is an acknowledgement of the lack of diversity, which I'm seeing within the industry, and it’s a great first step. We have a long way to go when it comes to being able to write parts for people and including other ethnicities in mainstream entertainment.”
It’s been a tough year for everyone with the uprising against racial inequalities across the world set against the backdrop of the Coronavirus pandemic, so I ask how Priyanka has managed her own mental wellness. “It's not easy, but what has really helped me is the sense of gratitude,” she says. “I feel really grateful that I'm safe, my family's safe and that I have a home and a job.”
Priyanka has been based in London since November last year, filming romantic drama Text For You and a new Amazon Studio TV series called Citadel. Our conversation about the past year leads me to ask when she feels her personal strength has been challenged the most? “I'm usually very strong,” she says, “but for example, when my father was unwell [he died in 2013] and it was the last few months, I did not have any personal strength. Even now seeing what's happening in India with Covid, there's such a sense of helplessness that I feel like my strength gets very challenged.”
As my time winds up with Priyanka, I ask what the best piece of advice she has ever been given is, and her answer is somewhat surprising. Recalling when she was working with legendary US music producer Jimmy Iovine, she says his mantra really stuck with her: "When the sht gets bigger than the cat, it’s time to get rid of the cat." Laughing again she explains the concept, “We as people are emotional hoarders, right? We're like, ‘Oh, I can handle it.’ But when the sht is bigger than the reason you're hoarding the emotional stuff, then just get rid of the cat.”
And with those wise words, Ms Chopra Jonas’ break from filming is up and she’s back to work. Poised, confident, talented and with a glorious sense of humour, it’s no wonder the beauty buffs at Max Factor have made her the face of their iconic brand.
For more information about Priyanka's partnership with Max Factor visit Superdrug
