Following the surprise announcement on Wednesday that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are moving back to the U.K. with their two children for an extended period after six years of living in California, reports have emerged regarding the Duchess of Sussex’s potential return to acting. Variety can confirm that the Duchess is in very early talks to join the third season of the Netflix series The Gentlemen.
Meghan Markle in Early Talks for Netflix’s The Gentlemen
The series, created by Guy Ritchie, follows an aristocratic soldier, played by Theo James, who inherits his late father’s massive estate only to discover it serves as the base for an underground cannabis empire. While the show’s first season was a hit for the streamer, it has not yet been officially renewed for a third season. Season two is scheduled to premiere on September 3.
According to Deadline Hollywood, which first reported the potential casting, sources caution that the discussions are in the very early stages and are currently hypothetical. No contract is in place, and Markle’s potential role has not yet been identified. Representatives for both Markle and Netflix declined to comment on the reports.
Professional Context and Industry Ties
Markle’s potential involvement with The Gentlemen aligns with her existing professional relationship with Netflix. Through the Archewell Productions banner, Markle and Prince Harry maintain a first-look deal with the streamer. Their pact has already produced several projects, including the docuseries Harry & Meghan and Heart of Invictus, as well as Markle’s lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan, which launched her brand, As Ever.
Industry observers note that a showy part on a U.K.-based production like The Gentlemen would be a logical step for the Duchess. Such casting could bring significant attention to the show and potentially attract new viewers to the series, which also stars Kaya Scodelario and Ray Winstone. The second season logline teases that the story picks up one year after the leads joined forces to work in an overseas criminal empire, with the characters now facing the consequences of increasingly unsound decisions made by Bobby, played by Winstone.
A History in Television
Markle is best known for her breakout role as Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits, in which she starred for seven seasons from 2011 to 2018. Following her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, she largely stepped back from acting. However, she is set to return to the screen in a cameo appearance as herself in the upcoming Amazon MGM comedy Close Personal Friends, which features Brie Larson and Lily Collins.
The news of the potential The Gentlemen role follows an earlier report from the Australian outlet News.com.au, which first stated that the Duchess had been offered a role in an upcoming project based in the U.K. Sources close to the Sussexes did not deny that report, though they noted that further details remained under wraps at that time.