Meghan Markle’s Acting Comeback Cancelled? Duchess of Sussex’s Offer to Star in Guy Ritchie’s Netflix Series The Gentleman Dropped after Backlash

Meghan Markle’s acting comeback has reportedly been “cancelled” amid criticism over plans to feature her in the third season of The Gentlemen. Royal author Tina Brown claimed Friday that Meghan will no longer appear in Guy Ritchie’s hit Netflix series after plans to cast her reportedly triggered a fierce backlash in Britain.

Brown said: “I learned that the casting of Meghan Markle has been withdrawn. The backlash was so intense it became untenable to go forward.” In her “Fresh Hell” Substack newsletter, Brown suggested that the latest development could be a setback for Meghan’s hopes of returning to acting. She wrote: “This does not bode well for Meghan’s acting comeback.”

Setback for Meghan

Meghan had ruled out a return to acting just four years ago. Speaking to Variety in 2022, she said: “I’m done. I guess never say never but my intention is to absolutely not.” Sources close to the Duchess of Sussex have now suggested that a return to acting is among the reasons she and Prince Harry are planning to spend more time in Britain.

However, some commentators believe Meghan taking on an acting role and stepping back into the public spotlight could create difficulties for both the Sussexes and the wider Royal Family.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Baroness Wheatcroft said: “The first thing any actress wants is publicity and Meghan may be a good actress. She is certainly going to be offered roles but she has to be very careful when the inevitable interviews come along not to embarrass the royals.”

Before marrying Prince Harry, Meghan Markle had a successful seven-season stint as Rachel Zane on the legal drama Suits. By the time she filmed her final episode in April 2018, she was reportedly earning about $40,000 per episode. She married Harry at St George’s Chapel in Windsor the following month.

Meghan is also set to make a brief cameo in the upcoming film Close Personal Friends, which stars Brie Larson and Lily Collins. However, a source connected to the production told The Mail on Sunday that her appearance is only a fleeting one. Taking on a role in Ritchie’s The Gentlemen would therefore have represented a much bigger return to acting.

Netflix declined to comment, while a spokesperson for the duchess would not confirm or deny reports that the offer had been withdrawn.

Speculation about Meghan joining the show surfaced last week, when sources claimed she was in “advanced discussions” to appear in its third season.

Based on Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name, The Gentlemen centers on an English aristocrat who discovers that the estate he has inherited is home to a highly profitable marijuana-growing operation.

The show’s second season is due to arrive on Netflix next month.

Losing Her Popularity

News that Ritchie was reportedly considering a role specifically for Meghan quickly sparked a wave of criticism online.

One viewer warned in a comment on Netflix’s Instagram account for The Gentlemen: “If Guy Ritchie hires Markle to go on Season 3, his ratings will drop fast.”

Another person wrote: “Many will boycott The Gentlemen if MM is in the cast. I loved the series but cannot watch the new series if she is in it.”

Some others said they would not watch the show “out of principle,” pointing to their anger over Meghan’s claims about how she was treated by the Royal Family.

A source at Disney studios told The Mail on Sunday: “Every so often people around [Hollywood] get calls about whether there are any gigs for Meghan but she’s a polarising choice… She’s not someone I would want in one of my shows because you’re alienating a large part of your audience before you shoot a single frame.”

Brown believes the backlash surrounding the Duchess of Sussex could now make it difficult for her to secure roles on mainstream television.

Meghan and Harry signed a $100 million, five-year deal with Netflix in 2020, but the agreement ended last year after the streaming service chose not to renew it. Their Harry & Meghan docuseries became Netflix’s most-watched series, but their projects that followed failed to achieve the same success.

With Love, Meghan received mixed reviews and was not renewed, while Harry’s Polo series performed poorly.