Suits was already a very successful show in its own right during its nine-season run on USA Network between 2011-2019, but last year it went stratospheric on Netflix. The legal drama has racked up a ludicrous amount of viewing minutes, likely driven by continued interest in cast member Meghan Markle. As such, few eyebrows were raised when spinoff/sequel show Suits LA was confirmed.
As you might expect from the title this show will shift the action from New York City to Los Angeles though follows the same winning formula. Arrow star Stephen Amell will play the new character Ted Black, billed as “a charismatic force of nature who puts his own needs above others”. Given the continuing popularity of the original show it seems like a no-brainer to get some of the original cast back, whether in recurring roles or cameos.
But after everything that’s happened to Meghan Markle since she left the show at the conclusion of season 7, would she return to play Rachel Zane one more time?
What happened to Rachel Zane?
Markle’s character Rachel Zane was a key player in the early seasons and the de facto female lead of the show. We saw her struggling under the burden of her father’s reputation, taking on a job as a senior paralegal at Pearson Hardman to make a name in her own right. In the finale of season 7 Zane marries Patrick J. Adams’ Mike Ross and the pair move to Seattle.
While Ross did return in Season 9, Zane did not. We can presume the character is still living in Seattle, theoretically making it possible for her to return in Suits LA.
Is Meghan Markle interested in acting at all?
In 2018 Markle left the show to begin her life as the Duchess of Sussex alongside Prince Harry. This effectively meant giving up her career as an actor in favor of being a full-time Royal engaged in charitable appearances and so on.
Variety asked her in 2022 whether she’d ever act again and her reply was unambiguous:
“No. I’m done. I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not.”
That said, she hasn’t stayed entirely away from entertainment. Harry and Meghan have released their ‘Archewell‘ podcast and in 2020 she provided narration for the Disney Plus nature documentary Elephant. It’s possible that in the two years since she gave the interview with Variety her position on acting has softened, but we haven’t heard anything to the contrary.
In the unlikely event Markle did return to Suits, it’d almost certainly be via a very brief single-scene cameo. But, let’s face it, while Markle clearly has fond memories of her time working on the show, it seems she’s put acting firmly in her past. So don’t get your hopes up.