Tushar Joshi (DNA; December 18, 2014)

Priyanka Chopra will soon be joining the ranks of Hollywood TV superstars Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy) and Kerry Washington (Scandal).

After screen tests where she was found to have a neutral accent (making her an ideal choice to not just play Indian but also Hispanic and even American characters), the actress signed a deal with American studio ABC’s Executive Vice President of Casting Keli Lee, following a hush-hush meeting. A source reveals that Keli and PC had a meeting where they discussed the way forward and how they will showcase her in Hollywood.

Chopra first met Keli at the SAMMA (South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment Summit) conference and later stayed in touch through their agents. The two were headline speakers at the summit. Lee is a big name in the West for scouting talent and casting female leads in strong roles in shows like Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy.

Priyanka will be travelling to Los Angeles in the coming months and staying there extensively for a few months to start her work on the project.