At 43, Priyanka Chopra Jonas still throws herself into a role with rookie zeal. Training to be a pirate meant bruising stunt drills and mastering a sea-worn swagger—action has always been her happy place. Shooting in the Caribbean brought salt, sun, and the thrill of the unpredictable, a fitting backdrop for a career built on bold pivots. She has journeyed from Bollywood superstardom to global projects, motherhood, and life with Nick Jonas. The pirate metaphor suits her—restless, ambitious, forever charting new waters.
What can you tell us about The Bluff?
It’s a really exciting, action-packed story about a female pirate who has given up her pirating ways to live a quiet island life with her family. But when that peace is shattered and her past comes back to threaten her and her family, all hell breaks loose. It becomes this really dramatic, brutal and visceral fight for survival.
How did you manage to get into the mindset of a pirate?
When the script first came to me, I didn’t actually know there were female pirates. So I did a lot of research and was fascinated by an Irish female called Grace O’Malley. She was known as the Pirate Queen back in the 1500s. There are tales of female pirates who fought battles while they were pregnant. I really went down a rabbit hole and discovered so many incredible stories about these brave women.
You worked with the Russo brothers on Citadel. What is it about them as directors that you enjoy?
I just love collaborating with them. And this being set in such a specific time period was so different and exciting. I felt lucky to be involved.
Your character, Ercell Bodden, will do anything to protect her family. As a mother yourself, is that something you can identify with?
Of course. I think it’s something that will resonate with all parents. It’s certainly the reason I responded so strongly to the script when I first read it. That was two years ago so I was a new mum, with all the emotions that come with that. I kind of understood Ercell as a character and the extremes someone like her will go to in order to protect her child.
How do you and Nick make your own family life work when you are both so busy with so many different projects?
We both understand what it takes to have the careers that we do and to be part of a family.
How challenging was it to play a Caribbean character, and one from such a different period of time?
It was a challenge. I had to learn how to speak differently, and of course, I had to look different. I also felt a strong sense of responsibility with the history and the themes of colonialism. I wanted to be as accurate as I possibly could.
The action scenes are intense. What were they like to film?
Each one took a lot of preparation and a lot of precision. I worked so much with the stunt team to make sure that we not only got it right for the movie but that no one got hurt.
Did you suffer any real injuries?
Just a few cuts and bruises, which you have to expect with something like this. I have been lucky enough to work in this genre a few times and so I trust my body and the people around me to meet the challenge. The stunt team really supported me and pushed me to do as much as I possibly could. It’s not every day you get to be a pirate.
You are also a producer on the movie. Did you enjoy that extra role?
The Bluff is actually my first movie as a producer. And I got to get bloody, brutal and be a female pirate.
You started out as a model before becoming a Bollywood actor and then a Hollywood star. Did you grow up dreaming of this?
I really didn’t. Acting as a profession is something I never knew would be a possibility for me. Then, after winning a beauty pageant, it just kind of happened. I never went to film school. I have learned on the job, on every set, from other actors and from the filmmakers I have been so lucky to work with. I feel so grateful that I get to do this but I still feel like I am learning. I feel very privileged to take on the next challenge.