I'm a TV editor - this is why Meghan Markle should never return to acting

Reports of a return to acting

Meghan Markle's anticipated return to acting appears to have been short-lived, if it ever materialized at all. Last week, trade outlets including Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter indicated that the Duchess of Sussex was in talks to join the third season of Guy Ritchie's Netflix series The Gentlemen, according to the New York Daily News. At the same time, it was announced that Markle, Prince Harry, and their two children would leave their California home for the UK in time for the children to attend school there this fall.

The news was fueled by a report from author Tina Brown on X, who said: "Newsflash: I have heard that Meghan Markle's role in Guy Ritchie's Netflix series The Gentlemen is OFF." Brown wrote in a later Substack column that "the backlash in the UK was so intense, it became untenable to go forward."

However, the New York Daily News notes that the renewal announcement for the third season made no mention of Markle. Guy Ritchie, the show's director, framed the renewal simply as a natural progression: "The ambition of 'The Gentlemen' has accelerated, the world has expanded, and the consequences carry weight," he said. "A third season felt inevitable, and I look forward to pushing the boundaries of it further."

Conflicting accounts of what happened

The story, however, is far from settled. According to the Daily Express, high-level sources explain that reports that Ritchie "pulled the plug" on Markle were a "fantasy," pointing out that a third season has not even been greenlit. Speaking on The Daily Expresso news show, host JJ Anisiobi was blunt: "This story about Meghan - her role withdrawn from season three - is complete and utter bt. It's total tosh. There is no season three role. That's not happened."

Anisiobi went on to explain how the initial talks actually unfolded, which took place about two years ago, not recently. "Some of Meghan's friends - who were mutual friends with some of Guy Ritchie's friends - were moving in similar circles," he said. "A conversation was had: 'Here, Ritchie, Meghan is actually looking to start acting again, and she loves your show. Do you think there could be something down the road for her?' And Guy said, 'Well, I can come up with some ideas, and we can talk.' He came up with three or four different rough ideas, and there's a back-and-forth between the groups."

The Daily Express also reports that Meghan herself pulled the plug on a potential season two cameo because of Harry's security battle and the need to film in the UK. The report does not specify whether that was a separate development.

In contrast, the i Paper reported that Tina Brown's claim about the backlash was what killed the role. The i Paper also said The Sun reported that Netflix is still interested in casting Markle, though Netflix declined to comment on the reports.

Markle's own statements and other context

Back in 2022, Markle said of acting: "I'm done. I guess it's a real gut check, but I'm done with trying to be someone else." She has also spoken publicly about her revised "first look" deal with Netflix at Fortune's Powerful Women Summit, though details of that were not new.

Markle is, of course, best known for her role as Rachel Zane in the USA Network show Suits, where she starred from 2011 to 2018.

Harry has recently been in the news over a privacy case against the Daily Mail, which he lost.

What happens now?

Given the conflicting reports, it's not clear what the next step is. Netflix has declined to comment on the broader story, beyond the renewal announcement. Some reports suggest the earlier news of Markle's involvement may have come from her own team, with one claim that the news was leaked "to make her in demand" - although this has not been independently confirmed. The i Paper argues that even if the role were to materialize, it would be a "blessing in disguise" for Markle to stay away, given the intense scrutiny.

The third season of The Gentlemen is set to begin streaming on Sept. 3, but as of now, there's no confirmation of who will appear alongside Theo James in the series.