After nearly a decade away from the screen, Meghan Markle is stepping back into acting.
According to a report from Deadline, the Duchess of Sussex has joined the cast of ‘Close Personal Friends’, an upcoming film from Amazon MGM Studios.
While details of Markle’s role remain under wraps, the project marks her first acting appearance since leaving ‘Suits’ eight years ago. She announced her departure from the hit legal drama in November 2017, ahead of her marriage to Prince Harry the following year.
According to multiple reports, Markle was recently spotted on set in Pasadena, with some outlets suggesting she will play a version of herself. The ensemble cast also includes Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding.
In a 2019 interview with Deadline, Suits creator Aaron Korsh revealed that he had considered asking Markle to reprise her role as Rachel Zane for the show’s final season.
“I thought about asking, even about using existing audio footage,” Korsh said. “But in the end, I decided to respect her new life and not put her in that position. We chose not to ask.”
Korsh later went on to create ‘Suits: L.A.’ for NBC, a spin-off set in a new location with a fresh cast, more in the spirit of CSI or NCIS than a direct continuation of the original. The series ran for just one season before being cancelled.
Markle’s most recent on-screen venture was the Netflix lifestyle series ‘With Love, Meghan’, which explored her passion for food and entertainment. However, its second season struggled to attract viewers.
In August, Markle and Prince Harry extended their collaboration with Netflix, signing a multi-year, first-look deal through their production company, Archewell Productions.
Their previous agreement with the streamer was believed to be a broader overall deal.
