MEGHAN Markle has been “inundated” with job offers after her former co-star revealed he was planning to return to acting.
A senior casting agent in Los Angeles exclusively told Page Six that studios and production companies have offered the Duchess of Sussex a wide range of roles, including horror and soap opera roles.
The avalanche of deals came after former Suits co-star Eric Roberts revealed at a red carpet event last month that Markle, 44, was planning a return to Hollywood.
A casting agent told us that the director and producers had been “battling for weeks” over the opportunity to cast Markle. Markle had already filmed part of a new Amazon movie last year.
“In recent weeks, Meghan has been the most talked about topic in Hollywood,” her representative claimed. “The very suggestion that she was planning a return to acting sparked an amount of interest that I’ve never seen in my 30 years in the industry.”
“We’ve been flooded with offers for leading roles and development proposals,” the source continued. “We’re talking about purveyors of genres that include romantic comedies, dramas, sitcoms and even soap operas. We’re casting across the board and we want everyone to be part of the conversation.”
The rep also described the mother-of-two as a “unicorn.” Because whenever she signs on to any project, it creates “stratospheric” hype and headlines.
“We’re actually excited because it’s a big deal for Meghan to be involved in a movie project in so many ways,” the source explained. “The main opportunity that management sees is how much attention Meghan’s return will bring to the project, which could potentially prompt tens of millions of dollars in investment.”
The agent added, “The reason is that the interest and name recognition in her return could lead to huge viewership and movie ticket sales not only in the United States but around the world.”
However, given that the Duchess of Sussex “stepped back” from acting after her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017, “there are big question marks all over town about who represents her interests today,” the representative noted.
“Agents, studios, production companies and even screenwriters are trying to find connections to Meghan through her former agents, companies and charities.”
The interesting development comes despite Markle refusing to appear in the Netflix project despite her multi-million dollar contract.
“It doesn’t matter what happens with her Netflix show, because Meghan has returned to the beginning of her career, where she has enjoyed experience and success,” the casting agent said.
“Her status as an actress has always been solid, and she was hugely popular on ‘Suits.’ It’s very appealing to see her return to being involved in a drama on screen, rather than having to deal with family issues off screen.”
Page Six has reached out to Netflix and Markle’s representatives for comment.
Markle has already taken the first steps in her slow return to Hollywood with a cameo in Amazon MGM Studios’ new film Close Personal Friends, starring Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding.
Eric, 69, said the Suits star, who played Rachel Zane, was sure to return, and the offers poured in like an avalanche.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in March, Eric and his wife Eliza Roberts, an actress, casting director and manager, confirmed that Markle would be returning to acting after her multi-million dollar Netflix exclusive deal fell through.
The couple, who became close with Markle while filming the Canadian film Suits, claimed that Markle was turned away from the courtroom series due to royal concerns about her “very sexy” character.
Eric said, “She’s going to come back. She’s going to be great and blow everyone’s mind.”
Eliza, 73, interjected: “Meghan is a star. From the moment I saw her, she just had star quality. It doesn’t matter. It’s always been that way… She needs to act. She’s a young woman who needs to act.”
“The time has come and Meghan needs to get back to work,” she continued. “I think her whole family supports that. And she’s amazing.”
