‘Suits’: Celebrate Meghan Markle’s big birthday with her most iconic projects
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and only American member of the British royal family, was an actress once upon a time. Today, as she turns forty, well wishes are pouring in from around the world, perhaps most notably from the royal family themselves.
A person’s fortieth birthday is typically a milestone, and we thought we’d use Meghan’s as an opportunity to look back at her most iconic projects over the years. Today, she posted a video on Instagram that features her husband Harry juggling in the background, so we guess he’ll be providing the entertainment for today.
Small roles
Meghan Markle started her acting career as an adult with a small role as a nurse on an episode of the daytime soap opera General Hospital. She’s mostly in the background, and has one line.
Another notable appearance was on CSI: NY. Next, there was an appearance as a briefcase girl on Deal or No Deal. She also had a small costar role in one episode of the 90210 reboot.
Meghan Markle had a two-episode guest-starring role as an FBI agent named Amy Jessup in the second season of Fringe. She also had a one-off role in an episode of CSI: Miami.
She also had a few small roles in some movies, like Get Him to the Greek (starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill), and Remember Me (starring Robert Pattinson). In Remember Me, she played a bartender also named Meghan turns down Robert Pattinson’s overly-eager friend with a crush on her.
Meghan also played “FedEx girl” in Horrible Bosses, starring Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudekis. She shows up to drop off some packages, and Sudekis hits on her, saying she’s way too pretty to “just be a FedEx girl”.
Suits
Meghan Markle’s biggest break came when she landed the role as a series regular on the show Suits, playing Rachel Zane. Rachel is a highly competitive paralegal who has a will they/won’t they relationship with Mike.
Rachel & Mike were one of the main relationships on the show, and they were sort of on-and-off. Even when they were broken up, their romantic tension kept viewers tuning in to see if they’d get back together.
When she finds out Mike’s law degree is fake, she’s angered, as she’s someone who’s had to work for everything she has and never feels like she gets what she deserves. They get back together again, however, only to break up (again) and then get back together (again). They eventually get engaged, but don’t go through with the wedding.
When Meghan’s relationship with Harry became serious, she announced her retirement from acting. Rachel and Mike’s characters married and were written off the show, heading off to start their own law firm.
Since retirement
Though she’s officially retired from her acting career, Meghan Markle has remained in the spotlight as a member of one of the most famous families and institutions in the world. Her status as a black American divorcee made her an easy target for the British press, who harassed her terribly using racist and sexist terminology.
She has used her voice when she can, and continues to be involved in charity work. She used her voice quite literally as a narrator on the Disney nature documentary Elephant.
Her most notable return to the small screen was in her and Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey this year. Since the couple’s choice to step back from the toxicity Meghan was facing in England, they’d kept quiet about the struggles they faced.
Meghan Markle opened up to Oprah and the world about the racism she had to deal with not only from the press but from senior members of the royal family. Her bravery and grace in calling out such abhorrent and inappropriate behavior has made her an icon and a role model for many, drawing comparisons to the way Harry’s mother Diana remained resilient under duress due to her royal status.
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Today, on her fortieth birthday, we hope Meghan has a lovely day surrounded by positivity and love. What’s your favorite Meghan Markle performance? Let us know!
