Meghan Markle's rumoured Hollywood comeback may have been far less serious than the headlines suggested. American journalist Paula Froelich has claimed the Duchess's supposed link to Netflix hit The Gentlemen amounted to little more than a brief chat with its casting director.
No formal offer for Meghan
Speaking on the Daily Expresso podcast, Paula claimed there was never a formal offer for Meghan to appear on the show, despite the meeting later generating reports that she could be heading back to acting.
“That was just a little chitty chat with the casting director,” Paula said.
According to Paula, the conversation was subsequently made to appear more significant than it was through reports and leaks to the press. She described the situation as "mood board manifesting", suggesting that a casual conversation was presented publicly as evidence of a potential acting comeback, which Meghan decided to "run with".
Acting career background
The journalist speaks amid continued rumours that Meghan could be looking to return to acting after stepping away from her career when she married Prince Harry. Meghan was best known for playing Rachel Zane in Suits before leaving the show and retiring from acting ahead of her 2018 wedding.
Paula was asked about reports surrounding Meghan's acting ambitions and whether Hollywood had moved on from the Duchess of Sussex. She claimed there would be significant restrictions on the kinds of roles Meghan could take.
Role restrictions and public interest
"She really would have to have the pick of the roles," Paula said. "She can't get naked. She can't have sex scenes. You can't make out. You can't do drugs. You can't do anything that would have been in The Gentlemen."
However, the journalist acknowledged that Meghan could potentially find work despite not being among Hollywood's most acclaimed performers. "I do think that, while she is not Meryl Streep, there are plenty of, you know, fair to middling actresses," Paula said.
Paula also discussed the level of public interest surrounding Meghan and Harry since their move to the United States. She claimed there had been a significant amount of "wasted goodwill" surrounding the couple and joked about the possibility of a book documenting Meghan's experiences of "losing friends and alienating people", akin to Toby Young's book of the same name. "It would sell," Paula said.
