India-born Quantico actress Priyanka Chopra, has been living the life since the debut of the FBI drama. "I had dinner with Bruce Springsteen. I was like, 'Wait a minute, what just happened,'" she told HELLO! during the BAFTA Tea Party at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills about one of her pinch-me moments. "That was cool because I love him!"
The 33-year-old herself is also making a lasting impression. Not only is the Bollywood mega-star notching up awards (including a People's Choice trophy), she even has earned a few famous fans. “Ellen Pompeo – she is amazing! She yelled out to me on a red carpet," she continued. "And Kerry Washington! They’ve just been wonderful to me, and I didn't know them [before] at all. But they have become really big champions of me, and that’s great. It’s good to have friends when you don’t know anyone.”
The rising star says that fellow actresses Ellen Pompeo and Kerry Washington are two of her big supportersQuantico has proven to be a fan favorite and has made viewers – even real-life authorities! – desperate to know the true identity of the terrorist she’s hunting on the show. “The immigration officer when I landed into L.A. told me that he wouldn't stamp my passport until I told him who the terrorist was!" she told us. "But he is a fan and his daughter is a big fan of the show – so it has been all good!”
Of her People's Choice award, the former Miss World reveals she has already won two of the trophies in her home country of India. “But to get it in America, where I'm not from... That was really overwhelming!" she said. "I remember getting on stage [at the awards show] and looking around and really not knowing anybody. So I kept looking at my mother, who has sat with me at every awards show since I was 17.”
Red carpet regular: Priyanka at the BAFTA Tea party in Los AngelesShe's definitely a true natural on awards show red carpets, but she says her personal style is built around comfort rather than glamour. In fact, she even teased she would wear a snuggie in the future. “I think someday, much to my stylist’s disdain, I’m going to," she admitted. "I’m totally going to wear something comfy – track pants – and just arrive and say, you know what? That’s my style!”
Given her willingness to show up on Hollywood's red carpets in a sweatsuit, her top tip for success may not come as a surprise. “To not take yourself to seriously," she said. "I did when I first started. I was 17 when I became Miss World [and] I didn't know what was happening... I realize now [that] I am just an artist. What I wear... those things don’t matter as long as I’m telling good stories. If you stick to that, then it takes you through everything.”