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Meghan Markle’s ‘Suits’ salary revealed and it's a lot more than we had thought

The world may know her now as royalty, but her Hollywood roots—and that eye-watering Suits paycheck—are a significant part of her story.

Before becoming the Duchess of Sussex and a global icon, Meghan Markle was lighting up television screens as Rachel Zane, a brilliant and driven paralegal on the legal drama ‘Suits.’ While her royal connection often overshadows her acting career, the salary Markle commended for her role in ‘Suits’ remains a jaw-dropping figure. According to reports, Markle earned an impressive £41,000 (around $50,000) per episode during her time on the hit show, which aired from 2011 to 2019. This sum placed her among the highest-paid actors in the TV industry at the time, reflecting not only the success of the show but also her pivotal role in its popularity.

With a seven-season run under her belt, her earnings from ‘Suits’ alone totaled millions, making it her most lucrative acting gig by far. Markle’s Hollywood career began long before ‘Suits.’ She appeared in small roles in films like ‘Horrible Bosses’ and ‘Remember Me’ and even had a brief but memorable stint as a briefcase model on ‘Deal or No Deal.’ However, it was ‘Suits’ that catapulted her to stardom. In a heartwarming post on her now-defunct lifestyle blog, ‘The Tig,’ Markle reflected on the moment she landed the role. She shared, "First, I was a girl at an audition. Then, I was a girl who got the part. Now I’m a woman who’s starting the fifth season of that show,” as reported by Express.

She further added, "I remember that day like it was yesterday. My cheeks still hurt from how hard I smiled." Her portrayal of Rachel Zane resonated with audiences. Markle described her character as a role model who ‘worked hard’ to earn her place in the legal world. She remarked, "We were in a group email the other day, and I was saying we'd all lived in the same corporate housing – so on top of working together, we were living together – which makes a whole different dynamic. We just became this whole family right out the gate."

Markle also added, "I am so happy... she's worked so hard and I love that, as a role model, how she's been crafted to balance it all and now have this place at the firm where she really knows her standing and her office isn't just because she's a good researcher, it's because she's an associate. She's really earned that spot." Markle’s decision to leave the show in 2018 coincided with her engagement to Prince Harry.

As per Marca, while her royal duties marked a dramatic shift in her career, Markle’s years in Hollywood laid the foundation for the life she and Harry have built since stepping back from royal responsibilities in 2020. The couple, now residing in a $14.65 million estate in Montecito, California, have secured lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify, boosting their combined net worth to an estimated $60 million. Meghan’s acting earnings played a significant role in helping them afford their lavish lifestyle, with reports indicating she contributed approximately $2 million toward their home.