After winning the Miss World title in 2000, Priyanka Chopra entered the star-making Bollywood machine, enjoying an illustrious and fruitful career before making the high jump into Hollywood. In the last five years, she has starred in a hit TV show and a string of high-calibre films, and entered into a high-profile marriage to once-eligible bachelor Nick Jonas.
It’s amazing to discover that Chopra only earned US$68 dollars for her first modelling job – a jarring contrast to her future payslips. After playing a wide range of roles in more than 50 films – including Krrish (2006), Barfi! (2012) and Mary Kom (2014) – Chopra has cemented herself as the actress behind some of Bollywood’s most-solid box office reports, with the Krrish franchise grossing more than US$70 million alone.
Despite immense success in India, Pee Cee (her pet name) set her eyes on bigger goals. In 2015, she played Alex Parrish in ABC’s hit-drama, Quantico, earning a US$3 million salary every season. This landed her on the Forbes’ 2016 chart of the highest-paid TV actresses in the world, and she raked in US$11 million that year.
Upcoming Hollywood appearances include the long-awaited The Matrix 4, starring opposite the still smoking hot at 56 Keanu Reeves, and Cowboy Ninja Viking with Chris Pratt. Her fee? Chopra currently charges US$1.6 million per film, according to Filmfare.
When she is not busy acting, Chopra also dons a producer’s hat. Launched in 2015, her production house, Purple Pebble Pictures, made its name with small but meaty films such as Ventilator (2016) and The Sky is Pink (2019). Both earned US$10 million at the box office.
However, it seems Chopra’s biggest cash cow is brand endorsement, TV hosting gigs and Instagram posts. According to Business Insider, Chopra received US$100,000 per episode as the host on the stunt reality TV show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi.
