Meghan Markle was convinced she tanked her ‘Suits’ auditions— and her reason was so very Rachel Zane
The legal drama ‘Suits’ is back with a highly anticipated spin-off, ‘Suits: L.A.’ which has fans thrilled. While Gabriel Macht has confirmed his return as the iconic Harvey Specter, the question remains— will Meghan Markle reprise her role as Rachel Zane? While her return, even if it's a cameo, remains uncertain, we take a look back at Markle’s audition story for ‘Suits’— an inspiring tale of self-doubt and resilience. Before Markle became the Duchess of Sussex, she was best known as Rachel, a brilliant paralegal turned attorney. Although she was perfect for the role, Markle once believed she had completely botched her audition and even urged her manager to secure her a second chance— something that Rachel herself would have done.
As per Fandom Wire, in a 2013 interview, Markle admitted she was convinced that her performance in the audition room was subpar. She revealed, “Actually when I went in to audition for it, I thought I blew my audition. I remember leaving, calling my agent, and saying, ‘I don’t think I did a good job in that room, and I need to get back in there.’ So automatically, Rachel and I, are very similar: ambitious, driven, and always trying to take the bull by its horns. My agent just said, ‘There’s nothing I can do. Just focus on your next audition.’”
🎥 Patrick J. Adams talking about a #Suits spin off with Meghan Markle at the #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/C5VKhlH5t6
— suits archive (@archivesuits) January 8, 2024
Markle added, “Maybe that’s where I’m similar to Rachel, in that I’m harder on myself than anyone else might be.” Patrick J. Adams, who played Mike Ross, Rachel's love interest, also once shared his insights into Markle’s audition process. Adams recalled that Markle’s selection was practically a foregone conclusion. Adams and Markle had previously worked together on a failed 2008 crime-comedy pilot, ‘Good Behavior.’
As per Entertainment Weekly, while they had no further contact after the show’s cancellation, their familiarity helped ease the nerves when Markle auditioned for ‘Suits.’ He recalled, "Meghan and I had done a pilot before, a terrible, terrible pilot together. There was a setting up of a romantic relationship in...that particular pilot too. And then we never saw each other again…The pilot failed. It was terrible and went away. And so we had never seen each other nor spoken to each other again…When I went in to do the chemistry reads with Rachel, [Markle] was right there and she said, 'Hi,' And I went, 'Oh my God, so good to see you!'"
Their instant connection made the audition process seamless. He remarked, "It was just clear that we had an easygoing thing when we went into that room." Adams believed Markle’s performance was undeniably brilliant. He opined, "It was pretty clear, if I remember correctly, that she was going to get the part from the minute we did the chemistry read. It was just so much easier than it was with anybody else. She crushed it. She crushed it and she crushes it in the show."
