5 things you need to know about 'xXx' star Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone is a style icon and famous Indian actress who draws insane crowds in some parts of the world.

But in Los Angeles, it’s admittedly a little easier for her to walk around without being recognized, though that’s even starting to change now with her role in the action sequel xXx: Return of Xander Cage. “That’s the power of the movies,” says Padukone, 31, who has a Kardashian-esque social following (17.1 million on Twitter, 33 million on Facebook). “They are so global and it puts you in touch with so many people.”

In her first American action film, Padukone stars as Serena Unger, a knife-throwing huntress and former love interest of bad-boy athlete-turned-spy Xander Cage (Vin Diesel). She’s recruited to join Cage’s posse of thrill-seekers working to keep a deadly rival (Donnie Yen) from snagging a weapon that can control military satellites.

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Here are five things to know about Padukone:

She auditioned for the last Fast and Furious movie.

Wanting to challenge herself, Padukone auditioned with Diesel for 2015’s Furious 7. “I was looking forward to being in something with a much wider audience. I need to push myself,” she says. That film didn’t work out, but once she was on set with the actor in xXx, she fell for Diesel’s spirit and attitude. “He’s so genuine and so real and so himself. He’s always out there to make people happy.”

She fosters a ‘safety first’ mentality on set.

One of her favorite action sequences in xXx is a gun battle alongside co-star Ruby Rose that was choreographed like a ballet dance. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that in the movies before,” says Padukone. But she never took being safe for granted. “The minute you step onto a film set that has action, all of it is dangerous. You need to be alert, you need to be aware of your surroundings."

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She used to be a national-level badminton player.

Like her father, Padukone was competitive in badminton growing up, though Pilates comprises more of her workout schedule now — which helped when it came to the physicality of xXx. “Being physically fit is a huge part of my life,” she says. That said, she’s still dangerous with a racquet and a shuttlecock: Like riding a bicycle, "you’re not going to forget it," Padukone adds of her former sport. "I use it to my advantage sometimes.”

She’s one of the highest-paid actresses in the world.

Padukone was the lone Indian star on Forbes’ annual top-10 list, which also included Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston. She earned $10 million in 2016, including endorsements with Tissot, Nike and Coke, and has succeeded in Bollywood, which like Hollywood also has a large gender pay gap. “Do I fight for it? Yes, of course I fight for it,” Padukone says about pay equality. “But I fight for it silently. I fight for it through my work.”

She loves La La Land.

A veteran of several song-and-dance numbers in movies, Padukone understands the hype for the Oscar-contending crowd-pleaser. “There’s so much of that movie that works: the acting, the honesty, the songs. It’s one of those classic love stories that is told in such an interesting manner visually.” Ryan Gosling also happens to be the next co-star on her Hollywood actor wish list: “He’s absolutely brilliant and he’s definitely someone I want to work with.”