LONG before Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex, she was known for US legal drama, Suits.
The hit show was her big break, but was also her last role as an actress before marrying Prince Harry.
Meghan Markle played character Rachel Zane in the US network show Suits
Who did Meghan Markle play in Suits?
Meghan Markle played paralegal Rachel Zane on Suits for seven seasons.
Her character eventually worked her way up the legal ladder to become an attorney.
Throughout her time on the show, Meghan’s character Rachel grew close to attorney Mike Ross, played by Patrick J Adams.
The legal drama revolved around Mike Ross, who managed to gain a position at a swanky lawyer’s office in New York city.
Throughout the show, the on-screen couple became romantically involved and then went on to marry and set up their own legal firm in Seattle.
The on-screen couples exit in the show coincided with Meghan’s real-life departure from the world of acting.
How many series of Suits was Meghan Markle in?
Meghan hit the big time when she starred in Suits and was on the show for seven seasons.
Before that, she only had small parts on TV and in films.
Meghan was on Suits right from the beginning and was in the show’s pilot which aired on June 23, 2011.
However, she waved goodbye to the show in season 7, after she became engaged to Prince Harry.
In total she was in 108 episodes from 2011 until 2018.
Why did Meghan Markle quit Suits?
Whilst the exact reason for Meghan Markle leaving Suits has never been confirmed, her final season did coincide with her getting married to Prince Harry.
Meghan’s last ever Suits episode aired in April 2018 – just a few weeks later on May 19, 2018, she became Duchess of Sussex.
Showrunner Aaron Korsh revealed to Radio 4 in 2017 that he had actually begun writing her character out after she began dating Harry.
He said: “I sort of had a decision to make because I didn’t want to intrude and ask her, ‘Hey, what’s going on? What are you going to do?’
“So, collectively the writers, we decided to take a gamble that these two people are in love and it’s going to work out.”
Aaron then claimed in August 2023, that the Royal Family “asked him to edit Meghan Markle’s script” so she wouldn’t use a “sensitive” word.
Who were Meghan Markle’s co-stars?
Meghan worked alongside Patrick J Adams, who played her love interest Mike Ross.
They were joined in the cast by:
- Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter
- Rick Hoffman as Louis Litt
- Sarah Rafferty as Donna Paulsen
- Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson
- Abigail Spencer as Dana “Scottie” Scott
Is Meghan Markle still friends with the Suits stars?
After quitting the show, Meghan remained close friends with her co-stars on Suits.
In fact, many of the stars of the show were invited to her wedding to Prince Harry.
However, the only person she is known to continue to be close to is Abigail Spencer, who played Scottie.
The pair often go hiking together, with Prince Harry joining them.
How much did Meghan Markle’s earn from Suits and does she get royalties from Netflix?
Meghan work on Suits earned her $50K per episode, which is around £39K.
The Celeb Report also exclusively revealed how she gets a royalty pay check every time the show airs on Netflix.
In fact, it was revealed by us that the money helped pay for her mansion in Montecito, California.