How Priyanka Chopra Became Irreplaceable in Bollywood and Hollywood

I don't want to have a label. I want to have a legacy. Who would debut as a villain? My first debut will be a villain, an antagonist. But to me, that strikes me as exciting. It's a very conscious effort for me to do something that challenges me every year. You give me anything, you tell me to paint the walls of this studio, I'll do the best damn painting job you've ever seen.

She's an actress, singer, film producer, philanthropist, and winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant. She's one of India's highest-paid actresses and one of the nation's most popular celebrities. In 2016, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She's Priyanka Chopra, and here's my take on her top 10 rules for success. Rule number 4 is my personal favorite, and I'm curious to figure out which one you guys like the best. Also, as Priyanka's talking, if she says something that really, really resonates with you, please leave it in the comments below and put quotes around it so other people can be inspired as well. Enjoy!

I don't want to be called an actor. I don't want to be called a star. I don't want to have a label. I want to have a legacy. I want to be known as someone who has goals and achieves them, and whatever they might be, wherever they might be. I want to be limitless. I want to break stereotypes. I want to go where no man or woman has gone before, and it might be a scary path, and it might be a path that no one's taken, but at least it'll be just mine. I had the worst self-esteem when I was a kid. I was made fun of because of the way I talked, because of where I came from. I was made fun of on every level. And the only way you can change that is setting goals for yourself and saying, "I will be the best version of me." When I was 18 and I started doing movies, I gave myself a year and a half, and I said, if I don't— If I sense that I'm not good at what I'm doing and I don't see something opening up for me, I'm gonna go back to college. I always had a plan B. I still always have a plan B. And that's what I always tell young people, you know, life doesn't end. It just keeps moving. You have to put your blinkers on and find what you do best and just keep moving. America suddenly sat up and said, oh, this is a great business module. You know, to take an international superstar and put them into something, and that just elevates the public. Because today it's not about domestic entertainment. Sure, it's global. Yeah, so not everyone wants that. But the women, because we are beautiful— that you are— and the exotic, beautiful Indian girl, it's, it's an easier fit. It's an easier fit. It's an easier fit. I mean, I've gone to the left and decided never to do it. Because I did a show which is on my shoulders. I'm doing a movie which I'm not the side chick, I'm the main villain of the movie, you know, um, which is a different— like, who would debut as a villain? It's my first debut, an antagonist. But it's— to me, that strikes me as exciting. I don't like being conventional, but I was trying to put into that box so much. That was the first place I was put into. All the movies that came to me was that. In fact, Baywatch, I was be spoken to for another part, but this was just— and it was written for a man, like I told you last time. So I like my terms a little bit, but the exotic, you know, gorgeous, pretty girl in amazing clothes is so the fit of where people tried to put me. And I hope that doesn't happen to anyone else coming in and act, because it'll really ruin all the work I've done. So are you like on the phone, let me just lay down the rules here? No, no, no, everyone They can do what they want. We need to stand as a force to reckon with because our industry is that. Our industry is one of the most prolific in the world and we need to not be afraid to stand our ground on our feet and say, "I'm not settling." And I hope that Indian talent comes there and do that and I hope me being in the position that I am in can give them the confidence to do it. I've never known my life without movies. I don't know what that would be like and now that I'm doing music too in the last— I mean, I've made an album. I have almost 40 songs ready. In the last 2 years, and I finished 8 movies. So I've been able to do both. I'm sorry, Superwoman, where's your cape? I'm sorry, what's going on? Do you sleep? I do, I do, but I do work every day. I love what I do, and I have 2 careers that I have to handle right now, and I don't want to give up on either one of them, and I don't think I need to. Do you feel like if you don't work, you'll go crazy? I think so. You're like, no, I can't take not working, because I feel like you need to be on the go. I have been working like this since I was 17. I don't know how to do anything else, and I haven't found a reason to want to take a break yet, if you know what I mean. My name is Alex Parrish. Protecting our country had always been my dream. Quantico was my first audition. I knew I had to go into this room and read these lines in front of all these people, but I was so nervous before I went in. So I went to the bathroom, I remember, before I went in. I looked in the mirror, and it's so stupid and I talked to myself and I said, what's wrong with you? You've played the most difficult characters in the most complicated movies. I tossed my hair a little bit, felt great, and walked out. Did my bit and got the job. Priyanka, as an actor, do you have any lines in your head in terms of what you will do and you won't do? Yeah, nudity. For sure I wouldn't. For sure, like, never. Um, also, I'm— I play bold parts, but I, I don't like a lot of skin show. I don't know how to explain it. Like, in Ezra, I was always in pantsuits, but the intensity in the part was sexual. I didn't have to dress it. You don't have to dress provocatively. Yeah. I mean, I do it for a magazine cover here and there, whatever, because it's glamorous and it's pretty. But like, one of the big reasons I did the show with ABC was because they're Disney. So there's only that much, for American standards, that we can do on the show, which is pretty much as much as Hindi films. There's a difference between wearing a bikini and a bra, you know? And I'm Indian enough, I understand that. So, and I want to— those lines are important to me. It's a very conscious effort for me to do something that challenges me. Every year I do one of those, but I also do those where I can put my hair down and just look pretty. I'm a girl. I love doing it. I love blockbuster Hindi movies. It's my favorite genre of film, whether it's in Hollywood or in Bollywood. You take me for an X-Men, I would much rather go see that than I would see a film which tells me a serious story. I'm that audience. Yeah, sometimes I feel as an actor I don't get pushed and challenged as much. But you can't always be doing the same thing. I like the Will Smith way of doing movies. You do these big movies with big money and big budgets, and they're commercial and they're successful, and you look hot and you look great, and then you do that. So you have to be able to balance both. Very few actors get to do it, and I'm very— I'm glad that I'm part of that elite group of people. I don't consider myself a singer. I don't consider myself an actor. I consider myself an achiever. Okay, you give me anything, you'll tell me to paint the walls of this studio, I'll do the best damn painting job you've ever seen. Okay, that's how I've always been. I didn't know I was going to be an actress, right? I didn't know I was going to be a musician, but now whatever opportunities I get, I try and turn them to the— and let's see what will happen. Sure, I do the hard work, is something I know I can damn well do. Okay, so I do that. All right, I'll try something else, but I want to expand myself as an entertainer. As a performer, whether that's music, whether it's TV, whether it's films, whether that's production, anything. It is now, Priyanka, 8 o'clock. You just finished shooting and now you're heading to a party. I'm heading to the launch of my— yes, the magazine, which is W Magazine, is having a party for the launch of its Royals issue. So I'm on their covers. So I'm heading there now. Yes. Kill me. But you don't look like you're feeling a kill-me moment. How do you do this? Because that's never the debate on Moon. That's why people don't think I'm ever tired. No, that's exactly right. So how do you do this? How do you will yourself into not being tired? It's only because all the stuff that I have to do is what I need to do. I don't have time for unnecessary with the two continents. So it's, you know, My word is my bond. It's my commitment. And I'm professional. That's my inherent nature is that, you know, you just— you have to keep working if you're committed to something. So you're tired, but when you step out of the sky, it's going to be the million-dollar smile. Yeah. No one will know. That's the thing. I think, you know, my mom used to say this to me. As a woman, no one should see the chinks in your armor. Because it's only your own. We are strong because we have the ability as women to be able to hold on to a lot of emotion and a lot of things that are thrown at us. I'm sorry. But we just have to remember that, you know, don't let the world see your weakness. The most beautiful thing about having dreams is that it's in your hands how big your dreams become. And this film taught me that. I've come here only to introduce you to the idea of saying that no one can tell you that your dream is too small, or your dream cannot come true, or your dream cannot be allowed because you're a girl, because you're a boy, because you look a certain way, or because— because you come from a certain place. I'm not even Northeastern and I'm playing Mary Kom. I mean, who would have thought that? I am extremely honored to be sitting in front of all of you wonderful, wonderful, really smart people and talking to you about my dream, which came true doing this film. Don't be afraid to dream, guys, because they do come true. They really do. When I was very young, I was 19 and I was doing first few movies, I remember that the producer just said, "Well, she can't work it out, it's fine, we'll just cast someone else. Girls are replaceable." Subconsciously, it really worked on my mind, and I started picking up parts which were strong, which were not just the damsel in distress waiting for someone to rescue me. Now, 13, 15 years later, the movies that I do, I'm irreplaceable.

Thank you guys so much for watching. I made this video because Gopi Acharya— I hope I pronounced that okay— asked me to. So if there's a famous entrepreneur that you want me to profile next, leave it down in the comments below and I'll see what I can do. I'd also love to know what did Priyanka say that really had a meaningful impact on you? What was your favorite rule and why? What did you learn most from this this video, please leave it in the comments below and I'm going to join in the discussion. Finally, I want to give a quick shout out to Scott J. Weaver Sr. Scott, thank you so much for picking up a copy of my book, Your One Word. It really, really, really, really, really means a lot to me. So thank you guys again for watching. I believe in you. I hope you continue to believe in yourself and whatever your one word is. Much love. See you soon.