Priyanka Chopra Says 'Heads Of State' Team Recognises The Importance Of A Strong Female Lead

Heads of State, the much-anticipated action comedy starring Priyanka Chopra, John Cena, and Idris Elba, premiered today (July 2) on Prime Video. Directed by Ilya Naishuller, the 2025 release blends espionage, global politics, and high-octane action with comedy, boasting a stellar ensemble cast and an international production scale.

In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Priyanka Chopra, who plays MI6 agent Noel Bisset, opened up about her role, the demanding action sequences, and how the creative team was intentional about empowering female characters.

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“I feel it was Ilya Naishuller’s intention from the very beginning when he first spoke to me about the movie,” Priyanka told India Today. “He felt it was really important to have a woman at the helm. Just the image of me, at five-foot-seven, even with heels on, telling both of these guys to stay in their lane, it was so funny to me. That alone made me want to do the movie. I thought, that’s hilarious, but on a deeper level, emotionally, it really mattered to Ilya,” she added.

 “Even though the film is led by a lot of men, these are men who are feminists, who understand the value of creating a role like this. Roles like this don’t come around often, so I was very happy to be part of the ride,” she told India Today.

At the London red carpet premiere, Priyanka also expressed her love for action cinema and acknowledged the stunt team that helped her prepare for the physically demanding sequences. “I love what Tom Cruise and Akshay Kumar do. They’re really good at that,” she remarked, referring to actors well-known for their action roles and hands-on stunt work.

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Heads of State is a 2025 American action-comedy directed by Ilya Naishuller and produced by Amazon and MGM Studios. The story revolves around two world leaders who are forced to set aside their political rivalry when they become targets of a deadly global conspiracy. Priyanka Chopra Jonas plays Noel Bisset, a top-tier MI6 agent assigned to protect them.

Cast Highlights:

• John Cena as Will Derringer, a U.S. President with a past as an action movie star

• Idris Elba as Sam Clarke, a former SAS-trained British Prime Minister

• Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Noel Bisset, a senior MI6 agent

• Jack Quaid, Carla Gugino, Stephen Root, Paddy Considine, and others round out the ensemble

The film also features Jack Quaid, Paddy Considine, Stephen Root, Carla Gugino, Sarah Niles, Richard Coyle, Clare Foster, Katrina Durden, Aleksandr Kuznetsov, and Sharlto Copley in supporting roles.

Check out the trailer: