Priyanka Chopra Jonas Says John Cena Played ‘Beautiful’ Piano Ballads on Heads of State Set (Exclusive)

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is no stranger to kicking butt as an action star. But for the funny side of action-comedy Heads of State, she looked to the pros for tips: costars John Cena and Idris Elba.

“It was so wonderful to learn by observing them,” Chopra Jonas, 42, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “Both of them are such professionals. … I was very fortunate to be in that company.”

Helmed by Nobody director Ilya Naishuller, Heads of State stars Cena as Will Derringer, a former movie star who recently became U.S. president, and Elba as military veteran Sam Clarke, the U.K. Prime Minister, as they’re forced to work together to survive a coup. Playing Noel Bisset, an MI6 agent on the run — and old flame to Elba’s character — is Chopra Jonas.

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“They know what it takes to elevate a scene,” the Citadel star says, “in the action-comedy world especially. Timing is so important and they both have such good timing.”

Cena, 48, and Elba, 52 (who last appeared together in 2021’s The Suicide Squad), are “both so different and incredible in their own ways,” she continues. “I really learned improvisation. They’re not afraid to feel stupid. They’re not afraid to say the wrong thing.”

They each had a “leadership role,” she notes, as actor-producers on Heads of State. That also meant setting a fun tone on the movie’s set.

“I loved that John played the piano in his trailer,” recalls Chopra Jonas. “There’d be this gorgeous, really beautiful ballad coming out of his trailer and you’d just walk past and there’s John sitting in his suit and tie hunched over his piano.”

She adds with a laugh, “He’s really good! And he’s hilarious and he really doesn’t care, but at the same time, he cares so much.”

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Heads of State, costarring Jack Quaid, Sarah Niles, Paddy Considine, Stephen Root and Carla Gugino, is streaming now on Prime Video. Among Chopra Jonas’ other upcoming projects are The Bluff costarring Karl Urban and Judgment Day costarring Zac Efron and Will Ferrell.

Source People.com