Meghan Markle in talks to join Guy Ritchie's «The Gentlemen»
Meghan Markle is reportedly in early talks to join the cast of Netflix's «The Gentlemen» for its third season, a move that experts say highlights her ongoing struggle to define her post-royal identity.
Meghan Markle is in early discussions to join the cast of Guy Ritchie's hit Netflix series «The Gentlemen» for its upcoming third season, according to reports. The potential role marks a significant step back into scripted acting for the Duchess of Sussex, who left the legal drama «Suits» in 2018 and has spent years building a public persona as a lifestyle entrepreneur, podcaster, and philanthropist.
People magazine reported that Markle remains in talks for the show, contradicting earlier reports that the deal had fallen through. No agreement has been finalized, and it is unclear how many episodes she would appear in. The series, which stars Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, and Giancarlo Esposito, is filmed in the U.K. and set in England. The show follows Eddie Horniman, who inherits his father's estate only to discover it sits atop a massive cannabis operation.
Experts say the move raises questions about Markle's post-royal reinvention strategy. «If she returns now, it raises the obvious question — what happened to all those other identities she tried on after leaving royal life?» said Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube's «Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered.» She listed Markle's various ventures — podcaster, producer, lifestyle entrepreneur, philanthropist, media mogul — and added, «Returning to acting would suggest that the most viable professional identity Meghan has found may ultimately be the one she walked away from.»
Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital that the potential comeback exposes a lingering challenge. «This has been the lingering problem for Meghan all these years: what is her identity?» he said. «She's ridden a carousel of career horses. Yet for all the rotations, nothing has seemingly stuck.»
Markle has already dipped her toe back into acting. In 2025, she filmed a small cameo as herself in Amazon MGM Studios' upcoming comedy «Close Personal Friends,» starring Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid, and Henry Golding. But a role in «The Gentlemen» would be a more substantial return to scripted work.
The news comes amid reports that Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, plan to spend an extended period in the U.K. this autumn. A spokesperson for the couple told The New York Times that they are «excited to have their children spend more time in the country that's such an important part of their family's story.» The spokesperson confirmed that their business operations will remain based in the U.S., and they will keep their California home. People magazine reported that Markle's potential acting project contributed to the couple's decision to return to Britain.
Schofield remains skeptical about a full Hollywood comeback. «I'm still skeptical that this represents some grand Hollywood comeback,» she said. «Meghan has spent six years in [California] with a multimillion-dollar Netflix relationship, enormous name recognition and Tyler Perry on speed dial. If acting was genuinely her ambition, she was already standing in arguably the best place in the world to pursue it.» She added, however, that «The Gentlemen» would be a clever choice because it's an established hit with a strong creative pedigree, so Markle wouldn't have to carry the project herself.
Markle's post-royal ventures have had mixed results. Her Spotify partnership ended in 2023 after one season of her podcast «Archetypes.» Her planned Netflix animated series «Pearl» was scrapped before production. Her lifestyle brand, originally launched as American Riviera Orchard, was relaunched as As Ever in 2025 after a prolonged rollout. In March 2026, a Sussex spokesperson confirmed that her Netflix lifestyle series «With Love, Meghan» would continue as seasonal specials rather than return for a third season.
Dan Wakeford, founder of Celebrity Intelligence, told Fox News Digital that after years of reinvention, Markle may have little to lose by returning to acting. «The most interesting path forward for Meghan, and several sources raised this unprompted to Celebrity Intelligence, is a return to acting would actually be a wise move,» he said. «Find an extraordinary script the way Demi Moore did with 'The Substance' and do something that shocks people. Get away from this princess arc and go back to what you loved and what made you famous.»
