Meghan Markle 'Never Had an Offer' for 'The Gentlemen' Netflix Role Despite 'Diva Duchess' Believing She Did
Meghan Markle 'never had an offer' for 'The Gentleman' despite reports that she was "in talks.'
Sept. 9 2026, Published 1:20 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle reportedly got ahead of herself in believing she had landed an offer to join the cast of Netflix's The Gentlemen when, according to insiders, she simply had a brief, informal chat with the hit show's casting director, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 45-year-old's supposedly triumphant return to acting – playing a sultry temptress on Guy Ritchie's crime drama series based on his 2019 film – was trumpeted by one of Hollywood's most prominent publications, which even doubled down on claims that Markle was "in talks" to join the show.
Mixed Signals in Initial Casting Reports
The story went from Markle being in 'preliminary conversations' to 'in talks' to join 'The Gentlemen.'
Hollywood bible Deadline broke the news on August 21 that Markle was in "preliminary conversations to join Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen for Season 3," even though the streaming service hadn't yet given the green light to an upcoming season.
The story dropped just two days after it was revealed that former Suits actress and husband Prince Harry were moving back to the U.K., where The Gentlemen is filmed, after six years of trying to live the California dream following 2020's Megxit.
Page Six Hollywood noted that the outlet quietly changed the story's wording later in the day to "in talks to join Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen for Season 3."
It noted that "conversations" typically mean little more than an initial chat, while "in talks" usually signals an offer is actually on the table.
Meghan Markle Took Brief Chat As 'An Offer' to Join 'The Gentleman'
Markle mistook a brief conversation with the show's casting director as an 'offer' to join 'The Gentlemen,' according to insiders.
The following day, former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown made it seem like a firm offer had been taken off the table, writing on her Substack, "The casting... has been withdrawn. The backlash in the U.K. was so intense, it became untenable to go forward."
However, insiders told Page Six Hollywood that the "Diva Duchess" mistook a brief chat with the show's casting director as a welcome to join the series.
"She took it as an offer. And it wasn’t," one source claimed.
The Sussexes Thought Casting News 'Would Be Helpful in the Moment'
The Markle casting story broke right as the Sussexes revealed their return to the U.K. after six years away.
The supposed acting gig also conveniently provided the couple with an explanation for their sudden decision to uproot their California life and return to Britain.
"And [she and Prince Harry] thought it would be helpful in the moment for there to be a reason for their move," the insider claimed as The Gentlemen is filmed in the U.K.
A second source agreed that no formal offer was ever put on the table, but pushed back on how the potential role came about.
They claimed Richie initially expressed interest in Markle because they are both repped by the same talent agency, William Morris Endeavor, which did not respond to Page Six Hollywood's request for comment.
Meghan Markle Casting Called 'A Lot of Hot Air' by 'The Gentleman's Leading Man
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'The Gentlemen' star Theo James debunked Markle casting reports.
The idea that Markle was being courted to play a sultry "temptress" on one of Netflix’s hottest shows raised eyebrows from the start, considering she hadn’t acted since leaving Suits in 2017.
The global frenzy over the possibility of the Los Angeles native making her acting comeback in such a high-profile role certainly helped put The Gentlemen in the spotlight. Netflix officially greenlit Season 3 on August 24, just three days after the Markle casting story exploded.
The duchess drama also delivered a priceless publicity boost for the series just weeks before Season 2 dropped on September 3.
The Gentlemen's leading man, Theo James, firmly poured cold water on Markle's potential hiring, saying on September 2 that it was "mainly a lot of hot air."
