Meghan Markle’s acting career is back in the spotlight after the BBC acquired the rights to her hit series Suits, with many fans calling for her to return to the profession. But, according to insiders, her former job is causing tension at home, with Prince Harry urging his wife to get back in front of the cameras – while she’s keen to follow other pursuits.
Meghan, 42, stepped down from her role in the legal drama in 2018, just months after she got engaged to Harry, to focus on her role within the royal family.
At the time, she said, “I don’t see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change. It’s a new chapter… I’ve ticked this box, and I feel very proud of the work I’ve done there, and now it’s time to work with [Harry] as a team.
“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.”
But now that the couple are no longer working members of ‘The Firm’ and more than settled into their new lives in the United States, sources say that Harry is urging Meghan to go back to her dream of being an actress while she continues to turn down offers to step back in front of the camera.
A source tells heat, “Harry thinks it’s madness that Meghan’s essentially turning down blank paycheques to get back at what she’s best at. Of course, he’s encouraging her career as a philanthropist and budding politician but there’s also so much more out there for her in his opinion.
“He’s been pulling strings with his own contacts and urging them to consider Meghan for exciting gigs, on TV as well as in movies. But Meghan is finding it a little patronising, she doesn’t need Harry trying to butt in and make her career choices for her.”
Should Meghan change her mind and decide to head back to acting, she isn’t short of friends to ask for a gig.
Harry and Meghan have grown close to the president and CEO of Paramount Pictures, Brian Robbins, and his designer wife Tracy James – who has worked on films such as Moulin Rouge! and the Star Wars movie Attack of the Clones – with them even celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary by going out for dinner with them in California earlier this month.
And Harry put in a good word for his wife with Bob Iger, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, at the European premiere of the remake of The Lion King in 2019, being overheard telling him, “You know she does voiceovers?,” gesturing towards his wife.
When Bob replied, “Oh really? I did not know that,” Harry responded, “You seem surprised. But yeah, she’s really interested.”
It seems that Harry’s interference paid off, as Meghan narrated the nature documentary Elephant for Disney+ in April 2020.
The source continues, “Harry’s not meaning to be pushy, he just worries that she’s holding herself back out of fear. He knows how hard it was for her to walk away from her career when she married him and he’s always felt guilty about that, so now that they’re free to do whatever they want he can’t quite understand why she’s not going back to what she loves.
“Especially since she’s being offered so many opportunities for films and TV shows on a silver platter. He believes she’s an incredible actress with the skills to go as far as the Oscars and says he just wants to see her live up to her potential and go after her dreams.”
And Meghan’s former career is thought to have rubbed off on Harry, who has formed friendships with the likes of George Clooney and Kevin Costner since moving Stateside.
“Harry also has his own fascination with Hollywood. He grew up watching all the classic rom coms with his mother and when he married Meghan the idea of landing his very own American actress and living out his version of Notting Hill was pretty darned appealing. He really expected that was going to be his life when he got to America. And there is still a chance it could happen,” the source continues.
“The truth is Harry wouldn’t mind a shot at being on camera himself as well. He likes the idea of having a cameo in whatever project Meghan takes on. He’s been fixated on Hollywood for as long as anyone can remember and he’s not ready to let that go.”
Although the time may not be right now, the insider explains that Meghan hasn’t completely shut the door on her former career – which was proved when she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Margot Robbie and Carey Mulligan at the Variety Power of Women event in November.
“It’s not like Meghan’s ruled out acting forever. She just doesn’t want to do it right now. Her big focus for the time being, aside from raising her kids, is on building her lifestyle brand and creating a legacy of giving back. She’s not in a position in her life where she wants to be away from her kids for 18 hours a day, or even worse have to leave them at home while she goes off on location. Not to mention all the pressure that comes after the fact, with the public and the critics picking apart every little detail.
“It’s true she’s getting offered a lot of opportunities, but at this point she’s just not interested. It’s frustrating for her that Harry keeps putting on the pressure. He makes comments all the time to their friends in the business about how she needs the right role, and then she has to politely explain that she’s not actually interested. But the way Harry sees it, she’s putting up unnecessary road blocks for herself and just needs a little encouragement.
“There are plenty of movies and TV shows shot in Los Angeles and he’d be happy to move their home base near the studios and stay home with the kids while she worked. The same goes for a location shoot, he’s got no issues with a temporary move, he’d be happy to follow her with the kids and be a stay at home dad for a few months so she could make her dreams come true.”