5 Reasons Why I'm Here For 'Quantico' Star Priyanka Chopra
I first became hooked on the ABC Drama Quantico when I learned that Book of Negroes star Aunjanue Ellis had a role on the show. But I became a dedicated watcher after seeing the show's lead actress, Priyanka Chopra, straight slay the role of Alex Parrish --a new FBI recruit who is suspected of committing one of the worst (fictional) terrorist attacks on US soil since 9/11.
I fell in love with the North India native after I heard her say that people of color were not interested in stereotyped Hollywood roles. "We don’t just have to be Apu from The Simpsons,” she told Vanity Fair, shortly after Viola Davis' moving 2015 Emmy's speech.
After hearing more of her back story, I knew that Priyanka was definitely a brown girl to watch for. Check out why you should be here for her too.
For real, she was serious about not playing a stereotyped role.
Priyanka said that when she landed a role on Quantico, she was in a holding deal with ABC until they could find her a show. She passed up a total of 25 scripts. During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the outspoken actress revealed that both of her parents were doctors, and she wanted to be an engineer, and that she was more than her skin color and accent.
So I wanted to sort of break that box, and I was very sure that whatever part I do, what I said to ABC when they came to me in India to talk to me about the deal, was that if that’s something you’re willing to see me as, as an actor and not the color of my skin or the way I speak or the accent with which I speak, if that can happen, I’m fine doing the deal. ABC was sure they would find the right fit for me, and I think Quantico is. It’s me as an actor. [Alex] wasn’t written for someone with my ethnicity, but I am Indian in the show, so I’ve been rooted with my culture in the show, but that’s not what the show is about.
Well alright girl!
She's already shut down the haters.
NFL fans were pretty upset after watching Priyanka being featured in a music video that introduced Thursday night football games this season. She sat down with the Wall Street Journal, and discussed seeing some offensive Tweets on the NFL network's Twitter timeline, and how that made her feel. She said,
The NFL got a lot of Tweets and, and so did I, [and] a lot of hate mail saying that, "You're un-American, why should you be on American football?" I have two problems with that. For one, why is every Arab person a terrorist? First of all. And second of all, just because I'm brown, why am I a terrorist? ...I think the only way to go forward is to shut the detractors with your work. Just keep being an achiever, keep achieving, because there are so many people who support you...
It's safe to say that she's getting her revenge from the haters by living well. Get it girl!
She plays a total badass on the show.
Not a week goes by where you don't see Priyanka snapping on a buster on Quantico. She said that part of what attracted her to the show was the fact that the girls can keep up with the boys.
They’ve written Alex as a female Jason Bourne. She’s as smart as that, but she is also vulnerable and soft. I didn’t want to make Alex extremely macho, I wanted to celebrate femininity. You can be an absolute woman and also be smart and tough and not lose your femininity. I also love that in the show, Alex treats boys the way boys usually treat girls, as dispensable. She has no place for them in her life.
She's proud of her culture.
What stands out about Priyanka is that she's a proud brown girl. As Global Grind writer Melanie Smith puts it, "In a world where so many people try to be something they’re not, this matters."
I felt like I learned something about her as an Indian woman when she gave her Instagram followers a glimpse into her Diwali (a Hindu festival of lights that marks the beginning of the fiscal year in India). I got to see Indian culture, and see my favorite #WCW all on one page. I live.
She's still getting those Bollywood checks.
That's right! The former Miss World (2000) has movies that she released overseas, and she's still one of Bollywood's highest paid actresses. She tells the New York Times,
“It’s extremely exciting for me to be able to balance both worlds. Very exhausting, but it’s extremely exciting. And the Indian film industry has been so supportive of what I am doing. It is very exciting.”
Are you a Quantico fan?
You can catch Priyanka on Quantico every Sunday nights at 10 p.m. on ABC!
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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