Priyanka Chopra Jonas on getting equal pay for first time in 23-year career

‘I wonder if the head of the studio was not female, would this have been a different conversation?’ actor said

Priyanka Chopra has opened up about how she’s getting equal pay for the first time in her 23-year-long career.

During the promotion of her new spy thriller Citadel, the 40-year-old actor told The View’s host that she’s finally receiving equal pay.

“Thank God. 23 years later. But I do think – and I have talked about this a little bit – the head of film and TV for Amazon Prime is Jennifer Salke whose idea was Citadel,” Chopra Jonas said.

“She came in five years ago and she wanted to build this global universe. I wonder if the head of the studio was not female, would this have been a different conversation?

“Would it have been a conversation because with her it wasn’t. They [the team] went back and said, ‘They’re playing co-leads, and should be paid the same.’ She was like, ‘Yeah, it’s only fair’.”

Highlighting that she didn’t think equal pay was even possible, Chopra Jonas said: “My cynical self was like, ‘No, it’s never going to happen’. I am telling my agents – ‘You can ask for it, but, guys, I’ve done this for a long time’.

“After Citadel, every job I have done where I’m the co-lead, I’ve gotten parity. So it did change my life.”

Earlier this year, the Quantico star opened up about why she left India and moved to America to kick-start her career in the Hollywood industry.

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During an appearance on Dax Shepherd’s podcast Armchair Expert, Chopra said: “I was being pushed into a corner in the [Bollywood] industry.

“I had people not casting me, I had beef with people, I am not good at playing that game so I kind of was tired of the politics and I said I needed a break,” she said.

Chopra then spoke about her short music career, which also ended up being her entryway into Hollywood.

Citadel is available to stream on Prime Video.