Meghan Markle's reported acting comeback in the third season of Netflix's The Gentlemen may have been derailed. The Duchess of Sussex, 45, was said to be set to make a cameo as herself in the Guy Ritchie production, but this has reportedly been withdrawn.
Alleged Backlash Leads to Withdrawal
Royal author Tina Brown claimed the casting had been cancelled after the reaction to Meghan's reported involvement became too strong. She said: "I learned that the casting of Meghan Markle has been withdrawn," adding that the backlash had allegedly made it "untenable" for the production to continue.
If the reports are true, it will be for the best, purely because of the brutal scrutiny that has now overshadowed the impending instalment. Even if not, her name has once again been dragged into the spotlight – taking a PR stunt even further than it needed to go.
The Gentleman's Success and Meghan's Acting History
After landing on screens in 2024, The Gentleman debuted at number one, gaining 12.2 million views in its first few days and pulling in over 215 million viewing hours within two weeks. With an 84% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, fans praised the fast-paced, bingeable storyline that blended British aristocracy with underground crime.
Now, when you attempt to look up information about season three, the search is inundated with Meghan's potential cameo, with the Duchess completely outshining the upcoming storylines and other casting, in addition to the Sussexes' upcoming return. While the mum-of-two kicked off her acting career decades before meeting Prince Harry, her best-known acting role remains Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits, in which she starred for seven seasons. Her final episode aired in 2018, shortly before her marriage to Harry.
No Plans to Return to Acting
The Duchess previously indicated that she had no plans to return to acting. Speaking to Variety in 2022, Meghan said: "I'm done," while adding: "Never say never." Harry and Meghan struck the original five-year deal in 2020, reportedly worth $100m (£78m), which resulted in a number of projects.
This will be another blow for the Royal whose lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, was not renewed following the second season, while Harry's Polo documentary also failed to achieve the impact of their first major Netflix project. Although there is no official confirmation that the Duchess was formally cast in The Gentlemen or that an offer was subsequently withdrawn, if the claims prove accurate, the alleged setback could complicate her suspected hopes of making a high-profile return to acting at the risk of productions and bosses refusing to be overshadowed by her appearance.
