[News article] Why Meghan Markle was underrated as an actress

[TallerSally]

Rare praise from the i:
https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/a-suits-revival-wouldnt-work-without-meghan-2556238

The legal drama Suits is having a surprise moment in the spotlight 12 years after it first aired. The key to its success? Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex

I watched Random Encounters and she really is terrible in it but I enjoyed it in a so bad it's good way

I watched some of Suits a few years ago and whilst Meghan is perfectly competent in her role, I don't think she is what made it successful. I found the banter between Harvey and Mike and the relationship between Harvey and Donna was the heart of the show.

I can see an argument for saying it's popular now because of Meghan's increased profile.

I think it is always interesting when popular shows have casts that don't really go on to do anything as successful. Sometimes it's the specific blend that works but individually they don't have the same magic. I see Suits in general as one of those shows.

Harvey and donna were much more interesting than Mike and rachel.

Also Louis Litt was such a good character - I loved his character arc from Mike’s nemesis to full on part of the ‘scooby gang’

I watched Suits from the start and would agree with PPs. Meghan was perfectly competent in that role but she was never a standout actor.

Donna & Harvey and Louis & Mike were the pairs that really sparked.

She's clearly the reason why people are choosing to watch just now, but her character and acting won't be the reason they continue to watch. Quite a few episodes she barely features, and her story arc wasn't the strongest - especially from S3 onwards.

I'm ambivalent about her as a person but I remember watching Suits years ago and thinking she was luminous.

Harvey and Donna made Suits. Lewis Litt was something else. Meghan Markle’s Rachel was average at best and wooden at worst. No value add.

She's one of those actresses (like Nicole Kidman and Kristen Stewart) that just brings themselves to the screen - and barely disguises it. It's not arrogance, per se, but a very firm self belief that "I'm just so darned great, don't you know". You have trouble bonding with their character as a result.

I thought she did her best with a rather annoying character

Yes I agree the character did her no favours at all. I have seen Meghan in a couple of guest roles over the years, she seems a competent guest star. I don't think though that she had that special spark that makes a headliner. I've recognised her in repeats of things I'm re watching and she made no impression the first time.

That isn't criticism btw very very few actors have that extra something that makes a great lead. If it wasn't for the competent many nothing would get made.

At the time I thought she was fine in the part which was fairly minor for the first couple of seasons. And I thought she was really beautiful.

Although it’s weird people now claim she was a famous actress because she wasn’t ‘name recognized’ back then. When I saw the headline that Harry was dating an actress from Suits I had to go look which one she was (the only name I knew was Gina Torres because of Firefly so I knew it wasn’t her.)

Now it’s hard to watch because she’s too well known as herself to let you get lost in the drama.

I’ve said it before but I think she’s really talented. She has a great voice too, I liked the Disney voiceover she did with the elephant documentary 🐘

I do remember thinking what a shame that she was having to give up acting to marry Harry because it felt as though she’d just made it with a breakout series regular role after years of hustling for parts - this was the point she could get bigger roles etc.

With hindsight she probably should have kept acting for a few years rather than becoming a full time royal straight away then she’d have had time to test the waters for full time royal life and she could have had the half in half out role of going to the big fun events, going with Harry on the occasional foreign tour but still have independence and time away from the stuffiness of court life.

I saw her in an episode of Without a Trace and she was truly terrible. It's not enough to say whether she has any talent in general (and I didn't watch Suits or anything else I can recall she was in) but she really was awful in that.

That isn't criticism btw very very few actors have that extra something that makes a great lead.

Just on this, we streamed Ticket to Paradise over the weekend. It’s a perfectly okay Rom/com that relies a great deal on beautiful scenery. The only thing that really elevated it was George Clooney and Julia Roberts who just had megawatt star power. And made it very obvious why they are who they are.

She could.do voice over the rest of her life! Her speaking voice is lovely.

I have never seen Suits, may have to pit on Netflix.

I loved suits. But like a lot of series it went on to long. Won’t say why in case anyone watches it for the first time.
maybe Meghan knew she wasn’t going to be a massive name in acting.
she only really became a big name because she married Harry, not knocking her. It happens a lot. People are in a hit show. They leave or it ends and you never see them again.

I just started watching Suits a couple of weeks ago and it's made me view Meghan more sympathetically.
I think it's because I'd never heard of her before Harry so, to me, she's only ever existed as the Duchess of Sussex and all the drama that's gone along with that.
Watching Suits has made her exist as a person on her own right and made her appear more human. I'm probably not explaining this very well but I thought I'd try!

She didn’t HAVE to give up acting . She decided to . The late Queen had suggested she continue with her career.

I have seen this said before but never saw proof of it.

I saw the fences put around the set of Suits to keep the paps out. It is my opinion only that, after seeing that, these is no way she could have continued her career.

She also said that she wanted to give 100% to her role in the family.

I thought she was radiant in the role. She has a beautiful voice too.

but most of them have fallen in to obscurity afterwards, I haven’t seen any of them do anything else really

The most memorable character were Lewis and his ‘billables’ and the crazy Elizabeth prof neg lawyer.

Meghan Markle was very pretty though.

Maybe she will do voice overs from now it pays well and she can do it from home

I think it says a lot that a woman had to give up a job she loved so that a man didn’t have to give up one he hated, but oh well history corrected itself in the end!!