Meghan Markle’s 5 Most Memorable Acting Gigs Before She Was The Duchess Of Sussex
Long before Meghan Markle tied the knot with Prince Harry and became a member of the royal family, the Duchess of Sussex made a name for herself as an up-and-coming actress in Hollywood. Markle is best known for her role on the hit legal drama, Suits, but her acting career actually had some pretty humble beginnings. Here is a quick look at Markle’s five most memorable acting gigs before she became royalty.
5. ‘Nick News’
One of Markle’s earliest roles was on Nick News. The Nickelodeon show started in the early 1990s and served as a news outlet for children and teenagers. Markle enjoyed a short segment on the show raising awareness about a sexist commercial on television. Back in 2015, around a year before she met Prince Harry, Meghan Markle opened up about her time on Nick News, remembering it as the first time she got involved with women’s advocacy.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Markle also revealed that the company that released the sexist commercial changed it because of a letter she sent. A clip of Markle’s time on the news show was released shortly after she started dating Harry.
4. ‘General Hospital’
Fast forward a few years later and Markle landed her first official role in the world of television. In 2002, Markle appeared on General Hospital as a nurse named Jill. The future Duchess of Sussex rocked some scrubs for her scene and spent most of the time rummaging through a patient’s chart. The part only had a few lines, though Meghan Markle would periodically appear in the background of other scenes as well.
What is interesting about Markle’s first role is that her parents, Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, met on the set of General Hospital. Ragland worked as a makeup artist on the soap opera while Thomas was in charge of lighting.
3. ‘Deceit’
When it comes to the big screens, Markle has appeared in a few films over the years – including the time she shared a scene with Ashton Kutcher in A Lot Like Love. One of her biggest roles early on was a part in the 2006 movie, Deceit. Meghan Markle actually had a speaking part in the film, in which she offered some advice to a close friend. A lot of the clips of Markle have been removed from the internet, but she is featured in the movie’s official trailer.
Markle, unfortunately, never made it big in the film industry, though her appearance on Deceit helped her land her next gig on television the following year.
4. ‘Deal or No Deal’
Markle appeared on several episodes of the popular game show, Deal or No Deal, in 2007. The actress was one of the women who held a briefcase in four episodes of the show. In one clip, Markle is shown holding case number 24, which only held a measly $5.
The role was not particularly challenging for the future Duchess of Sussex, though it did require some choreographed walking, all of which was done in high heels.
5. ‘Suits’
By far, Meghan Markle’s biggest role came when she landed a spot on Suits. Markle played the part of Rachel Zane on the hit drama, which aired on the USA Network starting in 2011. Rachel was a paralegal at the start of the series who eventually turned into a full-fledged lawyer. She ended up tying the knot with Mike (Patrick J. Adams) during the Season 7 finale, which also marked Markle’s final year on the show. The series called it quits a season after Markle’s departure.
Markle left Suits shortly after she started dating Harry. Over the course of the series, she starred in 108 episodes. The reason she left was because she needed to concentrate on the wedding arrangements and her new duties as a member of the royal family.
As part of the royal family, it would have been impossible for Markle to continue her career in Hollywood, especially considering how she now lives in London. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tied the knot in 2018 and recently welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
