Before Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex, she was best known for her prominent role in the USA Network's legal drama Suits. After seven years on the show, she left her part and married Prince Harry, embarking on her new journey as part of the British royal family. Life & Style reflects on her time in Suits, her departure, and her life following the series.
Who Did Meghan Markle Portray on ‘Suits’?
Meghan played Rachel Elizabeth Zane, who was the daughter of esteemed New York City attorney Robert Zane. Despite receiving a job offer at her father's law firm, Rand, Kaldor & Zane, Rachel chose to work as a senior paralegal at Pearson Hardman, a rival firm. Later on, she advanced to become an associate at Pearson Specter Litt.
In season 7, Rachel officially passed the bar exam and began working as a lawyer. During the same season, she married her fiancé Michael “Mike” Ross (Patrick J. Adams), and the couple decided to move to Seattle to launch a public interest law firm together.
When Did Meghan Markle Leave ‘Suits’?
Meghan's character was written out of Suits in season 7, which was filmed in 2017 and aired from July 2017 to April 2018, with her character relocating to Seattle. Patrick also exited the series in season 7 but made a return in season 9.
In November 2017, USA Network announced Meghan’s departure from Suits, just a day after her engagement to Prince Harry was revealed. “After seven wonderful seasons, Meghan Markle will leave Suits,” the show announced on Twitter (now X) at the time.
Why Did Meghan Markle Exit ‘Suits’?
According to reports, both Meghan's and Patrick's contracts expired at the conclusion of season 7. This timing coincided with Meghan’s evolving personal life, as she was romantically involved with Prince Harry, who would later become her husband. Suits creator Aaron Korsh mentioned on BBC Radio 4’s Today in 2017 that he had been planning Meghan's departure in consideration of her relationship with Harry.
Karwai Tang/WireImage “I understood from a year earlier that their relationship was blossoming
I faced a choice because I didn't want to intrude by asking her, 'Hey, what's going on, and what are your plans?' So, along with the writers, we decided to take a chance and believe that these two characters were in love and that it would work out," Korsh explained. "We chose to think, 'I would prefer Meghan to have good things happen in her life' – which would likely involve her leaving the show. Therefore, we decided to plan for that eventuality, as it would be easier to reverse if necessary, rather than expecting her to stay indefinitely and then discovering she was leaving.
Meghan wed Harry in May 2018. Her performance in Suits was her last acting role. Nevertheless, she has since participated in various reality and documentary series for Netflix, including Harry & Meghan in 2022 and her lifestyle program, With Love, Meghan, which is set to debut on March 4, 2025.
Meghan discussed her choice to leave acting after finishing Suits.
“I don’t perceive it as losing something. I regard it as a transition,” she revealed in a 2017 BBC interview. “It signifies a fresh chapter. Remember, I had been on my show for seven years. We were incredibly lucky to experience such a lengthy run for a series. Personally, reaching the 100-episode milestone felt like an accomplishment, and it made me extremely proud of our work. Now, it’s time to collaborate with [Harry] as a team.