Meghan Markle Ends Acting Career Ahead of Her Royal Wedding... with a TV Wedding!
As she prepares for her royal wedding, Meghan Markle has officially said goodbye to acting.
On Wednesday, Markle, who has previously said that she would be retiring from acting to focus on her royal duties, made her last appearance as an actress on the season 7 finale of Suits.
In the two-hour episode, Markle’s character, Rachel Zane and fiancé, Mike Ross (played by Patrick J. Adams, who is also leaving the USA Network series) get a job offer that’s too good to pass up. The pair accepts, but there’s a catch. It’s in Seattle. So the couple quickly moves up their special day, and finally tie the knot.
Following news of Markle’s engagement to Prince Harry, USA Network announced back in November that Meghan would be leaving the hit legal drama.
“From all of us at USA Network and Universal Cable Productions, we want to send our most heartfelt congratulations to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on their engagement,” the statement read.
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“Meghan has been a member of our family for seven years and it has been a joy to work with her,” continued the statement. “We want to thank her for her undeniable passion and dedication to Suits, and we wish her the very best.”
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Meghan, who was one of the original cast members of the show (featured in 107 episodes) since it first aired in June 2011, also confirmed that she would no longer be acting.
“I don’t see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change,” she said in her first joint interview with Prince Harry in November.
“It’s a new chapter, right? And also, keep in mind, I’ve been working on for seven years. We were very, very fortunate to have that sort of longevity on a series,” she explained, adding, “I’ve ticked this box, and I feel very proud of the work I’ve done there, and now it’s time to work with as a team.”
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While she will be stepping away from TV roles, Meghan will continue to further her passion for humanitarian work.
“I think what’s been really exciting as we talk about the transition out of my career and into my role is,” she said. “The causes that are really important to me that I can focus even more energy on. Very early out of the gate, I think you realize you have access or a voice that people are willing to listen and with that comes a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously.”