Meghan Markle has shocked everyone by returning to acting for the first time since marrying Prince Harry. This has come as a particularly surprising move, given the fact that Meghan explicitly said that she was “done” with acting after she and Harry made their royal exit in 2020.
Meghan Returns To Acting
Meghan, 44, will be playing herself in the new Amazon MGM Studios movie Close Personal Friends. The film stars the A-list Hollywood stars Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid, and Henry Golding. Little is know about the plot of the film, other than that it tells the story of two couples, one of which is famous while the other isn’t.
On Wednesday, Meghan was spotted on the film’s set in Pasadena, California. She appeared to be enjoying acting again for the first time in over eight years.
“Meghan was on the set today,” an insider told People Magazine. “She has a small part, she seemed very relaxed and happy. She introduced herself to everyone and was very sweet and down-to-earth.”
Before marrying Harry in 2018, Meghan was an actress who starred on the television show Suits. Indeed, she starred in 108 episodes of the series that aired from 2011-2018.
“This is a massive moment for Meghan and signifies a return to doing what she truly loves,” a studio source told The Sun of Meghan’s return to acting. “She has been swamped with offers but this one felt right.”
“It is Meghan’s way of gently putting her toe back in the water and seeing how she enjoys being back on set,” the insider continued. “Everyone involved is super-excited, and have been sworn to secrecy about her involvement. Prince Harry is, of course, really supportive and quite simply wants Meghan to do whatever brings her joy.”
Meghan Was ‘Done’ With Acting
News of Meghan’s acting return has come as a shock to the public, given how adamant she has been about leaving the profession behind for good.
In 2022, Meghan was specifically by Variety if she would even consider returning to acting.
“I’m done,” she fired back. “I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not.”
Meghan made similar comments after announcing her engagement to Harry in 2017. At the time, it appeared clear that Meghan had no intention of ever acting again.
“I don’t see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change,” Meghan told People at the time. “It’s a new chapter. Right? And also keep in mind I’ve been working on my show for seven years. So, we’re very very fortunate to be able to have that sort of longevity on a series.”
“And, for me, once we hit the 100-episode marker, I thought, ‘You know what, I have ticked this box, and I feel really proud of the work I’ve done there. And now it’s time to, as you said, work as a team with you,'” she added.
Meghan went on to double down by indicating that her acting days were very much behind her.
“I think what’s been really exciting as we talk about the transition out of my career and into my role is the causes that are really important to me that I can focus even more energy on,” she concluded. “Very early out of the gate, I think you realize you have access or a voice that people are willing to listen, and with that comes a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously.”
Meghan’s Netflix Fails
Unfortunately for Meghan, however, times have changed since then. It appears that the multiple career failures that she’s suffered as of late have sent her crawling back to the world of acting.
Back in August, Netflix announced that it would not be renewing Meghan and Harry’s five year, $500 million contract. Instead, Netflix signed Meghan and Harry to a far more modest first look deal. This came after season two of Meghan’s lifestyle series With Love, Meghan was panned by critics and viewers alike. It was the latest in a long line of flops that Meghan and Harry created for the streaming service.
Perhaps that was the last straw for Meghan, making her realize that she might not be above acting in front of the camera after all. Since she’s playing herself, Meghan’s role in this movie shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for her. It will certainly be interesting to see where Meghan’s acting career takes her from here!