Inside Meghan Markle’s first Hollywood audition gamble: 'Who does that?'

Before Meghan Markle became Rachel Zane on Suits (and later a royal), she was just another actress fighting for a break in Hollywood.

According to biographer Sean Smith in his 2020 book Meghan Misunderstood, the then-teenage Duchess of Sussex was “impatient to make a start as a proper actress” despite facing rejection after rejection, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Smith recalls one early audition where Meghan, now 44, refused to play by the rules. When asked to repeat a line, she boldly told the director: “I can. However, I’ve read the script and I really respond to this other role and I’d like to audition for that.”

Smith remarked, “This was not how auditions worked. This panic spread across the room because who does that? Who takes that sort of risk?” Meghan didn’t get the role she wanted, but she did secure a small part as “Hot Girl #1” in A Lot Like Love alongside Ashton Kutcher.

Her line was brief, but it got her foot in the door. Guest spots on CSI: NY and other shows followed until Suits made her a household name.

Decades later, Meghan has traded auditions for producing. 

Her Netflix show With Love, Meghan returns August 26 for a second season with celebrity guests including Chrissy Teigen, Mindy Kaling, and more. 

On her and Prince Harry's new first-look deal with the streamer announced earlier this month, she said: “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix... to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally.”