Meghan Markle Is Planning an Acting Comeback Amid ‘Suits’ Streaming Success

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they had signed a contract with Spotify in 2020 – a partnership reportedly worth $20 million – it was hailed as an impressive start to their post-royal lives. But in June, after producing just a single podcast series, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lost their deal with the streaming giant. More disappointment came in July: Their buzzed-about 2022 Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, failed to score any Emmy nominations. But in the wake of suffering these “crushing blows” to their dreams of building a business empire, says a source, the couple “regrouped.” 

They’ve had some unexpected good news. In recent weeks, Meghan’s old TV show, Suits, shattered ratings records after the USA Network legal drama — which ended four years ago — debuted on Netflix, becoming the streaming service’s most-watched acquired series across a single measurement week. “It’s a hit in reruns, and Meghan’s being told that there’s a demand from fans to see her act again,” says the source. “She’s feeling the pressure to stay on top, so she’s biting the bullet. With other opportunities drying up, Meghan is now planning an acting comeback. And Harry is supporting her 100 percent.” 

After playing paralegal Rachel Zane on Suits for seven seasons, Meghan, 42, quit acting in 2017 shortly before her royal wedding. (Before Suits, she worked on smaller projects, including General Hospital, CSI, The League, the Knight Rider reboot, 90210, a Tostitos commercial, and Deal or No Deal as a briefcase model.) Last year, she told Variety she had no “intention” of returning to her craft, insisting “I’m done.” But she also gave herself an out, saying “I guess never say never.” According to the source, “Meghan can always say it’s not what she planned. But secretly she must be very excited.”

Her in-laws, however, are not. Though Harry, 38, claimed in his 2023 book Spare that his father, King Charles III, suggested in 2017 that Meghan should continue with her career as an actress because he couldn’t afford to support her, since he was already footing all of Prince William and Princess Kate’s expenses, that thinking has changed. At this point, says the source, “the royal family wouldn’t be happy with her return to acting. Period.”

Meghan doesn’t care what they think. With all eyes on the Sussexes, “she will have a lot to prove,” says the source. “Meghan and Harry can’t take another failure.”