Priyanka Chopra, former Miss India and Miss World, grabs more newsprint than Donald’s presidency or Caitlyn’s menopause. Now upon us, she’s in NYC. The usual talk shows to push Paramount’s babes and boobs in “Baywatch,” her US film debut.
“‘Baywatch’ was a ginormous hit in India. My mom’s favorite show. I was 6 and watching it on TV. Now, with this updated version, I worried what they’d do to my favorite characters, but I couldn’t stop laughing because now I play the villain. He’d been a man, but they thought I’d bring a new dynamic to this antagonist. So I made it whatever I wanted to be.”
Her character Victoria’s savvy, sophisticated, patronizing, super rich, a purely evil drug queen in designer clothes who finds the beach disgusting. “I’m grateful that this role worked out and they had confidence in me. I wanted it badly but wasn’t sure it would happen.”
Priyanka balanced a shooting schedule between “Baywatch’s” Florida and Georgia location shoots and “Quantico’s” New York set. “I live on an airplane,” she said, and in fact phoned me en route to the airport.
“I never thought I’d be an actress. My career was a film school. Acting lessons. Offers came to me, and I had to learn how to do it. You must learn your craft. I didn’t even know I could. This is not the easiest business, and few girls really get such opportunities.
“Look, I know I’ve made mistakes along the road. I’m not sure about the way I look. I’m insecure about myself. I know I have to perfect the skills. I know I’m always learning from my last mistakes. And that is how you learn — it is not from your successes.”
Besides the butts, bums and beauts, the “Baywatch” boys are Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. The whole waterlogged bunch opens here on Wednesday.
To see at a theater near you…
Looking for a little stagecraft over Memorial Day weekend, try off-B’way’s “Cagney” at the Westside Theatre. Last show is Sunday. Looking for big-ticket items, do the Imperial and multiple Tony nominated “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.” Its star Josh Groban:
“So much goes on in ‘Comet’ that I’ve occasionally blown a line. Maybe twice in 200 shows. Playing a drunk, I sometimes can sing gibberish.” About the musical throwing pierogies at the audience: “They’re from the Russian Samovar restaurant, fresh each show. We’re jealous when they come in because we can’t eat any. They’re for the audience. The delicious smell drives us crazy.”
DC chatter
There’s wonderment about former FBI Director James Comey’s brother Peter. He is senior director of real estate operations for the Americas at the DC law firm that files the Clinton Foundation’s taxes.
James was also a board member of the British bank HSBC Holdings, which partnered with the Clinton Foundation.
Washingtonians ask, “Could this connection in any way have influenced James Comey’s ‘lack of intent’ in furthering his Hillary e-mail case?”
There have also been reports that no proof exists that Comey benefited from any relationships with the Clinton Foundation.
Pup preference
So many dog stories in magazines and newspapers lately. I did a survey. Want to know why our country’s divided? Fractionalized? Just checking among friends, I realized everyone’s different, even in their pets. Me, Yorkies. Designer Joanna, only Poms. Couri, when he lost his King Charleses, got two more King Charleses. McGreevey, German Shepherds. Carleton loves Westies. And, then there’s Arlene, who once had 26 cats. In an apartment.
Sirio Maccioni’s party in Le Cirque: “The only really happy people are married women and single men.”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.