Priyanka Chopra recalls STRUGGLES in Hollywood; says 'I forgave my younger self, for the things she did...'

Priyanka Chopra over the weekend, was among the headline speakers at a Harvard student-led initiative, where she took over the big stage to share her success story.

While addressing the students, Chopra opened up about her early life, her move to the US as a teen for her studies and also got candid about her journey in the film industry. In a video from the chat, the actress opened up about the challenges she faced while transitioning from Bollywood to Hollywood, and also recalled a period when she took on smaller roles and endured long hours on set and did not have her scenes shot that day.

Priyanka Chopra on creating a legacy

Reflecting on her early years in America, Chopra spoke candidly about the emotional and professional hurdles she encountered at the time while trying to 'build her legacy'. She recalled, “I was going through something at that time and I just walked into this interview, just wrong, you know? When your nerve endings hurt, and this was 11-12, whatever many years ago, and I was watching an interview recently, and I heard myself say, ‘I want a legacy. I don't want a career, I want a legacy.' And I was thinking about what it meant for me at that time. What did that mean? What did that girl think a legacy would be?"

She went on to add, "What you think your success means at any given time of your life is going to be so different. And that was when I was just starting out in America,” she said.

Priyanka Chopra on turbulent career in Bollywood amid Hollywood move

Chopra explained that her move coincided with a turbulent phase in her career back home in India, which influenced her determination to turn her sights to the US. She said, “I was dealing with a lot when it comes to my work back in India, and I was trying to survive, and I think my goal was, I want another magazine, and that's the only way I could wake up every morning and go through the small role that I have to do, and a triple banger trailer, which is, 3 actors in one trailer. And wait for like 15 hours and not be shot that day. Those are things I hadn't experienced in my career back home. And I was okay to do it every morning because I was like, I'm going for that long term. I'm going for that legacy.”

Priyanka Chopra credits her younger self for success

Describing the resilience that defined that chapter of her life, she added, “And I'm so grateful for my younger self, as she was brave, and she was strong, and that because of her tenacity, and her ability to put all my tears aside, put on my mascara again, you know, wipe myself up, and go and give that interview 20 minutes later, look pulled together, is the reason I can have a different definition of success today.”

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Now an established figure in both Indian and international entertainment, the actress shared her new meaning of ‘success’ at this stage in her life. Shea said, “My measure of success is being able to spend time with my family, to be able to pick up my daughter from school, to have the luxury to pick and choose work where I can craft time around my family and friends, while I navigate this insane career. And it's only because of that girl who ran so fast, and so I forgave my younger self, and I do it many times for the things that she did, and the choices that she made, that I don't agree with, but I'm so grateful to my younger self for bringing me where I am today.”


Priyanka was among the many Indian speakers at the annual gathering that brings together leaders across Indian business, policy and culture, spanning industries such as technology, finance, literature, entertainment and sport.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”