Ilya Naishuller on casting Priyanka Chopra in ‘Heads of State’: ‘She charmed me in about 45 seconds’

Director Ilya Naishuller had no second thoughts when it came to casting Priyanka Chopra as MI6 agent Noel Bisset in his upcoming action-comedy Heads of State. In a recent interaction with PTI, Naishuller explained how she was the only actress who he approached for the part, and she won him over in under a minute.

"She's the only actress I talked to for this movie, I'll be honest. I was just like, 'If the call goes, we'll be lucky to have her'. And I remember she charmed me in about 45 seconds flat over a Zoom call,” he said.

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The Russian-born director said he felt his journey to Hollywood felt almost similar to his own, a fearless decision he appreciated. "She went from being so big in India to being like, ‘You know what? I want to risk it and see what happens. I want to go out there and be ambitious and try to crack America’. It is a very difficult thing to do. It always is, no matter how big you are at home, and the fact that she went there and started that path, I was like, I deeply respect that and I admire that. It's courage," he said.

Chopra brought a “vibe” to set. Her warmth and energy added to the film’s dynamic and has an excellent rapport with her co-stars. "Every time we finish a scene and there's a relight, she'd pull up an apple box, sit right and be like, ‘How's it going? What are you guys doing?’ And that's the kind of vibe I really enjoy. So to balance out Idris Elba and John Cena, she had to be there."

About ‘Heads of State’

Feuding leaders U.S. President Will Derringer and British Prime Minister Sam Clarke must sort out their differences when a World War III-level threat arrives at their doorstep. With the help of MI6 agent Noel Bisset, the trio attempts to thwart a global conspiracy. Helmed by Ilya Naishuller, the film stars John Cena, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra, Jack Quaid, and Paddy Considine. 

Heads of State is available to view on Amazon Prime Video.

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