Meghan Markle signs with Hollywood talent agency WME

[DottyLS]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/meghan-markle-signs-wme-1235405157/

According to Twitter this is a real step up

There's a quote that seems very apt to MM from the book:

"There are some women, very good women quite possibly, who through no fault of their own impel disaster."

I think if you come away from the book CERTAIN that Cousin Rachel is a baddie, you need to read it again! Much like if you're very young, you can be swept up in the second Mrs DeWinter saving her husband...

I think you will find that Meghan will not ever again take part in any Royal event. They have hit the compromise adopted my many couples with in-law problems: Harry will do stuff like the Coronation, funerals etc, and she will never again be with them in public.

I think the point was more that her new agency may have to bear in mind that she’s quite a polarising figure in at least one large market, if they are looking for global projects - which to get the financial return they are looking for from a client of her profile, they presumably would be. WME aren’t a charity, they will have entered this relationship only because they think they can make money here. Global projects quite often involve trips to overseas markets to promote them. If your talent appearing publicly in the UK is a risk to her brand, that might make some projects difficult.

I'm pleased for her. I never watched suits but I hope she can get her career back on track and act again.

I think they've realised now that there's been enough public revenge against the the royal family with the Africa tour interview, the Finding Freedom book, the Oprah interview, the Netflix series and Spare, and know that anymore risks alienating even their supporters. Meghan kept her head down during the Spare publicity tour in order not to be accused of putting Harry up to it, but any PR company will know that she's best used when the royal family are in the news, hence her re-apppearance advertising her photographer friend, and presumably her agreement to making news of her new agent public so close to the coronation.

I’ve found the answer out! And it’s very interesting 😀

In his acknowledgements in Spare, Harry specifically says: "Thanks and hugs to Jennifer Rudolph Walsh for her always positive energy and soulful counsel"

As pointed out in this article, Jennifer Rudolph Walsh is the Head of Worldwide Literary, Speakers, and Conference Divisions at talent agency WME.

So Harry has been a client of WME for some time now. Presumably Meghan too, then. Yet they decide to announce it in a big splash in Variety a week out from the Coronation…of course they did. 🤣

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a42449216/spare-acknowledgements-prince-harry-relationships/

Global projects quite often involve trips to overseas markets to promote them.

You may have missed that Harry is also represented by WME for his speaking engagements. He did not have to come to the UK to promote his book, which was a smashing success.

Meghan's podcast was a big hit in the UK without her having to set foot on UK soil. In fact her promotional work was interrupted by the Queen's death, and it was all to have been in the US.

Their Netflix series was No 1 in the UK over several weeks, and garnered 81 million views around the world without a single promotional event in any country to accompany it.

One of the many things I like about Harry and Meghan is that they are creative disruptors. They have certainly disrupted very creatively how to promote major projects. A few well chosen and well placed interviews may be enough for Meghan's future projects in the UK, without ever having to set foot on UK soil!

In any event, enough people told her to go back to America and stay there. You should all be delighted she appears to be listening!

You may have missed that Harry is also represented by WME for his speaking engagements. He did not have to come to the UK to promote his book, which was a smashing success.

I’ve just pointed that out, in fact!

Harry’s book lifting the lid on the Royal Family was a smashing success yes. That does not mean that other projects on other topics will be as successful with such limited publicity campaigns.

So Harry has been a client of WME for some time now. Presumably Meghan too, then. Yet they decide to announce it in a big splash in Variety a week out from the Coronation…of course they did

Well knock me down with a feather!

Harry’s book lifting the lid on the Royal Family was a smashing success yes. That does not mean that other projects on other topics will be as successful with such limited publicity campaigns.

It may have sold well, but I would hesitate to describe something that has effectively cemented Harry's reputation as a petty, jealous, and spiteful person as a 'smashing success'

Our posts are three minutes apart, so you posted while I was typing, and yes indeed, WME represents Harry for his speaking engagements.

Everything they touch, individually or together, succeeds without much promotion.

Neither The Bench or Archetypes were about the Royal Family. They were both successful.

WME is a brilliant agency and it is a great fit of them.

It depends on your definition of success - their popularity has tanked but their coffers have grown.

Yes I agree. I think that WME are probably far more aware of what and who has the potential to be successful and popular than anyone here has. They’re not silly! If they are repping them that’s a good sign they’re going to be ok, and who would wish for someone to fail? I wish them luck and success because the world is a better place the more happy & successful people there are :)

Everything they touch, individually or together, succeeds without much promotion.

They’ve had some notable successes yes. Largely based on the Royal Family though. Apart from that, Pearl was dropped, the series on Inspirational Leaders they picked up and released as Executive Producers did not make a big impact, and they’ve not released any information about any new Netflix or Spotify productions yet, despite several months passing since their content was aired. So I think the jury’s still out on how their independent content fares, when they don’t rely on rehashing their royal roles.

@MrsMaxDeWinter Neither The Bench or Archetypes were about the Royal Family. They were both successful.
Yes :)

I really don't understand the anger about Meghan Markle. She was obviously fairly talented because she was a lead actress in a major series and made some successful TV movies, far more than anyone else on here has achieved let's be honest (of course you're all billionaires with Very Important Jobs, I forgot). She has 2 small children so why shouldn't she keep a low profile and spend time with them and now they're a bit older think about going back to work? It's an entirely normal process - where is the criticism for her brother- and sister-in-law who did the same for a lot longer and with a massive team around them? Instead, a gang of grown women are frothingly ascribing all kinds of bizarre motivations onto a woman they don't know. She hasn't even done anything wrong.

*in the interest of transparency, I have a lot of contempt for Meghan Markle for freely choosing to marry into and perpetuate an anachronistic and outdated institution but that certainly doesn't apply to those whose lives revolve around fabricating reasons why she's the devil incarnate and how some silly cartoon was just affectionately poking fun at Kate and William but shredding her as the evil harpy she is.

It may have sold well

It did better than sell well , it broke all sales records!

Those who read the book, as opposed to those who had the tabloid media read it for them and who parrot what they wanted the public to take way from it, found a very different book, and a different Harry, from the one filtered through the papers.

The reviews on Amazon are something else, at 74% 5 star, and 15% 4 star. That's incredible ratings, and what makes it clear it's all organic are the thousands upon thousands of comments (currently almost 80 000 comments) with lengthy and detailed reviews, many talking about childhood struggles in families, struggles with grief, addiction and with poor mental health. Veterans are also reading it, and writing about their own experiences of war.

Harry has started a necessary conversation for many people, and one that I hope he continues, especially for bereaved children.

What's extraordinary about the success is WHO is buying the book. Not people who read royal biographies, and not even people who read memoirs. They are people, in fact, who would generally not pick up a literary memoir at all. That's what makes his sales figures go far beyond selling well.

I said in a previous thread last year that the memoir would be an international publishing phenomenon. But not even in my wildest estimations did I except the this level of penetration in the market.

@Whaeanui it is interesting to see WME being "advised" on their own clients by Mumsnetters who, until the news broke, had no idea who WME were

That's good news for everyone except the haters - they want to earn their own money, this is a step in that direction.

@Whaeanui it is interesting to see WME being "advised" on their own clients by Mumsnetters who, until the news broke, had no idea who WME were

Interested to see how this comment is responded to, given the poster you’ve tagged roundly told me off in the first thread on this topic for being rude when I suggested that it was interesting to see people with clear knowledge of the law being “advised”by posters who had no idea what they were talking about. 🤣

I have read the thread and can see no-one "advising" lawyers on the law. What I saw was a lot of questions asked and comments being made about the witness statement and people trying to figure it out. No advice to lawyers detected!

Good try, MrsMaxDeWinter. I was specifically told my opinions on legal matters weren’t superior just because I’m a lawyer. 🤣 Sure, maybe not “superior”, but more likely to be correct…

If you want to say something to me Serenster, just say it to me. You were being insulting and rude to people discussing the case, none of whom are lawyers so shouldn’t be expected to understand it. You called us ignorant. @MrsMaxDeWinter hasn’t called you or anyone here ignorant, she’s just making the point those thinking WME have made a risky choice repping them and insisting they’re not going to do well because the UK market hates them, won’t know about the market and their chances of success, but WME will.
People discuss court cases all the time on MN, especially on the feminism boards where we help other women out with court costs. Lawyers come on to explain things regularly, they do so respectfully and without patronising anyone. Nobody gets called ignorant there because they’re not lawyers.

There’s no risk to WME- if they find work for the couple then they get a big cut. If they don’t, no biggie to them.

Your opinions are perhaps more likely to be correct because of your specialist knowledge, @Serenster but why call those without that specialist knowledge ignorant?

You didn’t use the word interesting, you used the word ignorant. You’re not an authority, nobody here is. We have no clue who actually is or isn’t actually lawyers either. People pretend things all the time. For instance, someone tried to whitesplain my culture to me and another Maori poster recently and when called out for inaccuracy tried to pretend they were Maori. Actually they were a white British woman living in NZ. It’s happened twice here.
So I take legal advice with a grain of salt online, and I don’t think anyone who is a lawyer is an authority on any given thread. That’s the word I used, not superior. But you’re not superior either. Your legal knowledge may or may not be helpful. I’m not a lawyer, so I wouldn’t know.

I know he is a poor example. There are plenty of people who I really don't like such as Boris Johnson or Suella Braverman but they actually affect my life as a UK citizen. I was trying to.think of a Meghan equivalent of someone who is easy to ignore😂