Tim Matheson thought Meghan Markle had a certain “sparkle” before she became the Duchess of Sussex.
In 2011, the ‘Animal House’ actor directed the former Hollywood actress in an episode of his legal drama ‘Suits’. The 76-year-old has written a memoir about his career titled “Pleased to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Trenches of Hollywood.”
Matheson told Fox News Digital that he, along with the rest of the world, was surprised when Buckingham Palace announced Markle’s engagement to Britain’s Prince Harry in 2017.
“It was strange because she was engaged to someone else [when I met her],” Matheson explained. “Being an actor my first thought was, ‘She’s going to quit acting.’ It was a bold move on his part, especially marrying into a royal familyI just thought, ‘This is a miniseries.’ I mean, come on!”
Before the British prince, Markle, 43, Was married to film producer Trevor Engelson From 2011 to 2014. His final appearance in “Suits” was in the season 7 finale. It aired less than a month before she and Harry, 40, tied the knot in 2018.
Matheson described Markle as “lovely” on set and felt that her future set was in Tinseltown.
“She was very beautiful and a good actress,” he said. “As a director, you come in and you have this series of characters. There were six or seven of them. I remember we all went out for an early dinner once, so I got to know him a little away from the set. She was very sweet. The entire cast was amazing, but there was just something about her in particular. There was a twinkle, a little twinkle, in his eye.”
Matheson shared, “I just remember that she was a very good actress.” “I never had to worry about the scene she was going to be in. I knew she would give a performance that would be absolutely perfect. If I had to change anything, she would jump in and make it happen. I really enjoyed working with him and it was a fun show.”
But happily ever after in the UK was not to be for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Harry and his wife have had a strained relationship with their family since they stepped down from royal duties in 2020. At the time, the couple said that the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press led them to step back as senior royals.
The father of two has since detailed his difficult relationship with his family in TV interviews, a documentary and his memoir. The couple have also expressed grievances against the monarchy in interviews His Netflix documentary.
Matheson said, “I find it refreshing that she’s been so candid and honest about her experience – both of them.” “I think we’re all curious about their transition to a more normal life outside the royal family.”
“I don’t know what to believe given how much acceptance he was given by the royal family,” he admitted. “I’m sure there’s another side to things that I don’t know about. But I thought he did a great job. They did not derail. He didn’t tell backstage stories. It was almost a no-win situation. But I thought he handled things very well.
Since the couple stepped away from royal duties, people who have worked with Markle have shared some of their experiences working with her.
In 2023, “Suits” creator Aaron Korsh spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about a revival of the show on Netflix. At the time, he described how the royals paid close attention to what the future duchess could and couldn’t say in the series.
,[The royal family] Some things were addressed,” Korsh said without naming anyone. “Well, not a lot of things, but some things that we wanted to do and couldn’t do, and it was a little upsetting. I remember there was a particular line of dialogue.
“My wife’s family, when they have a topic to discuss that might be sensitive, they use the word ‘poppycock.’ Let’s say you wanted to do something that you knew your husband didn’t want to do, but you wanted to at least discuss it, and in discussing it, you listened to anything he said. You won’t be able to stop them from talking, you will be like, ‘This is poppy seeds.’
“So, in the episode, Mike [Patrick J. Adams] and rachel [Markle] We were going to do something, and in a nod to my in-laws, we were going to say to her, ‘My family will say poppycock.’ And the royal family didn’t want him to say those words. They didn’t want to put the word ‘poppycock’ in his mouth.
Korsh revealed, “I think it’s because they didn’t want people to avoid calling him ‘cock’.” “So, we had to change it to ‘Bulls-T’ instead of ‘Poppycock,’ and I didn’t like it because I told my in-laws [poppycock] Was going to come to the show. “Maybe there were one or two more things, but I can’t remember.”
At the time, representatives for Buckingham Palace and Markle did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Korsh shared that he was not aware of how the family obtained the scripts, saying, “I don’t know how they got them. I knew they were reading them because I received feedback, but I don’t remember the process by which they received them.
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He couldn’t even remember who gave him the bad news about the kibosh on “Poppycock,” but he knew it wasn’t Markle.
“Whoever it was, they didn’t like telling it to me any more than I liked hearing it. But listen, when they explained it this way, and I’m pretty sure it was explained to me that it was about [splicing potential]I had some sympathy because I also wouldn’t want anyone to do that to him. And the thing is, I didn’t think anyone would actually do that, but also, I don’t know. people are crazy.”
Markle began dating Harry in 2016, while she was starring on the show. Korsh decided to share the impact of the royal family only because he believed Harry had already talked about it Explosive memoir, “Spare.”
Harry wrote in his book about his family’s influence on Markle’s career, “Meg packed up her house, Left his role in ‘Suits’. After seven seasons.
A tough moment for her, because she loved that show, loved the character she was playing, loved her cast and crew – loved Canada.
“On the other hand, life there had become unstable. Especially on the set. The show’s writers were frustrated, as they were often advised by the Palace Comms team to change lines of dialogue, what their character would do, how she would act.
Since stepping down from their duties as senior members of the royal family, there has been speculation about the couple’s next move, whether in or out of Hollywood.
A former executive producer of “Suits” acknowledged that it would be challenging to reunite Markle with the show’s cast.
“I would agree that it’s not possible,” Jean Klein told TV Line.
