'I didn’t even know I was beautiful': Quantico star Priyanka Chopra admits she has always doubted her own good looks and believes she won Miss World because she was 'well-spoken'
- The 34-year-old actress posed in a sexy photoshoot for Refinery29
- She said she thought she won Miss World because she was well-spoken, and admitted she was bullied in school
- Though she now likes to be the 'best version' of herself, she still doesn't rely on her looks
- The star also talked about originally turning down Quantico, her upcoming Baywatch movie, and her ideas about feminism
It can be difficult to believe gorgeous Hollywood stars when they say they were uncool in school and didn't think they were pretty, but Priyanka Chopra insists that is her story.
Of course, she went on to win the Miss World competition, star in dozens of Bollywood movies, and headline the hugely successful ABC show Quantico, but nevertheless, the 34-year-old said it took some time to recognize the beauty in herself.
'I didn’t even know I was beautiful until — I don’t even know it now,' Priyanka told Refinery29, attributing her Miss World win to other attributes. 'I don’t think I was the most beautiful girl in the world. I think I won because I was well-spoken and I was decently turned out. The stars aligned that day. But I taught myself to be the best version of myself over the years.'
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Gorgeous: Priyanka Chopra posed for a photoshoot for Refinery29
Self-doubt: The 34-year-old admitted that she didn't used to think she was beautiful
It probably didn't help her self-esteem that she had a rough time in high school. Though she grew up in India, she moved to the US for a few years and attended high school in Newton, Massachusetts, where she was bullied. She didn't head back home to India until her senior year.
In fact, she didn't even push herself out into the pageant world — her mom did. While Priyanka was applying for college scholarships, her mother submitted photos to the Miss India competition, and the dutiful daughter decided to go along with it.
But even though she she's earned accolades thanks to the fact that she's gorgeous, she doesn't rely on her good looks.
Good thing she did! She now stars on Quantico — a gig she almost didn't take because of the time commitment
No boxes: Though she now more easily recognizes her beauty, she said she doesn't want to be known for it
'Beauty has nothing to do with me,' she said. 'I was born with it. But I don’t want to be known by the fact that I’m beautiful. I want to be known for the fact that I’m an achiever. Not even an actor. I don’t want a label. I don’t want a box. I want a legacy.'
Though she doesn't want it to be her identifier, it certainly helped kickstart her career. After winning Miss World, Bollywood came calling, and she had a successful film career in India for over a decade before landing Quantico.
Interestingly, Priyanka didn't even want to take the TV role at first, figuring it would be a 'long commitment' and she was too busy filming movies in India. Ultimately, though, she liked the script so much, and ended up needing to convince the producers that she could take on a all-American role.
Changing her path: When she was a teenager, her mom entered her in the Miss India competition while she herself was applying for college scholarships
Success: She went on to win Miss World in 2000, which soon spun into a Bollywood career
'I’m not even Indian-American,' she explained. 'I’m from another country. I speak Indian. I think Indian. I look Indian. I really had to wrap my head around who Alex was, to convince not just the writers, but the American people that I’m an American girl.'
The actress also has a role in the upcoming Baywatch movie, where she'll play a couture-wearing villain named Victoria. She said getting to play the bad guy was 'so much fun'.
With American film and TV roles, her star is on the rise in the US, which means sometimes she notices paparazzi trailing her. However, she said she isn't 'hypocritical enough' to get annoyed by them. Plus, there's an upside to it: She no longer needs to save photos of herself, since any pictures she needs — from red carpet snaps to childhood throwbacks — can be found with a quick Google search.
Truth: Priyanka also talked about feminism, explaining that all feminist want is equality in treatment, not hating menPriyanka also talked about feminism in her Refinery29 interview, bringing up the subject several times.
'Feminism needs men to understand that we don’t want to berate you or kill you or hate you. We just need you to stand by us,' she said. 'That’s what feminism is. Don’t judge me for being me, just like you don’t judge the boys. That’s all we want — equality in treatment.'
'For eons, women have been told how to be or think or dress. I come from a part of the world where this debate is so heated, especially because we’re a country that has goddesses. We pray to women. But at the same time, we prey on them,' she added.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3777945/I-didn-t-know-beautiful-Quantico-star-Priyanka-Chopra-admits-doubted-good-looks-believes-won-Miss-World-spoken.html#ixzz4JbojDKnh
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