When Meghan Markle visited Hong Kong during the early run of Suits, she was 31 and Rachel Zane, the paralegal with lawyerly ambitions, was her best-known role. She talked about the character, her castmates, a small film part and the restaurants she loves.
Her answers show an actress who was happy with where she stood. The questions below cover what she said then and what has happened since.
What did she love about playing Rachel Zane?
Speaking at the time, she said she admired Rachel’s strength, savvy, style and ambition. What she valued most was the character’s softer, more vulnerable side.
She named Rachel as the female character she identified with most, even though she thought all the women on the show were written with strength. She related to Rachel as a woman of a similar age working hard towards a dream, and as someone with a crush who is not always in control. She said she enjoyed the moments when Rachel loses that control.
She also drew a parallel with her own career. Rachel wanted to become a lawyer, and she had wanted a series like Suits. Having landed it, she felt she already had what she had always wanted.
Did she want a film career too?
Yes. The show filmed for almost eight months of the year, which left only a small window for other projects. She had made a couple of comedies before and enjoyed them. She said she was still grateful for television but wanted to make her mark on the big screen too.
Her latest film at the time was Remember Me, in which she had a small part opposite Robert Pattinson. She filmed her scenes in New York. She called him a sweetheart and said she admired how gracious and humble he stayed despite his huge fame.
Who were her closest co-stars?
She said she was first closest to Rick Hoffman, who plays Louis Litt and whom she called a big brother. As filming went on, she also grew very close to Sarah Rafferty, whom she likened to a big sister. She also named Patrick J. Adams, who plays Mike Ross, as a great friend.
She also played a one-word association game about her co-stars:
- Patrick J. Adams: sweetheart
- Rick Hoffman: funny
- Sarah Rafferty: awesome
- Gina Torres: fabulous
- Gabriel Macht: vegan
She explained that Macht, who plays the suave Harvey Specter, is the cast member least like his character. He is vegan, wears linen and is very relaxed. People expect him to order a steak, she said, but he would rather order tofu.
Asked which character she would play if she could choose anyone, she said Donna would be her usual answer because of Donna’s wicked humour. This time she picked Harvey, for his suave, debonair style. She ruled out Mike Ross, joking that she did not want to memorise that much.
How did she stay in shape, and where did she like to eat?
She described herself as a big foodie and said she believed in balance. She enjoyed a good meal and a glass of wine, and she kept active with hiking, running and yoga, which she put down to being a California girl. She added that the tailoring of Rachel’s wardrobe helped too.
Her favourite meal was at Babbo in New York’s West Village, where she praised the wild boar ragout. She said her favourite food of all was French fries, and she rated those at Balthazar in New York the best in the world. On the Hong Kong trip she was looking forward to trying dim sum.
When asked for three reasons to watch Suits, she gave three words: smart, slick and addictive. The show’s second season was due to premiere in Singapore on DIVA Universal, on a Monday evening in January.
Where is she now?
She played Rachel Zane for seven seasons, from 2011 to 2018. In November 2017 she described leaving acting as a change rather than a sacrifice. She said she was proud of her years on the show and ready to work with Prince Harry as a team.
She married him at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 19 May 2018, and became the Duchess of Sussex. The couple stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 and settled in California.
Her career since then has been in lifestyle and media. She launched a lifestyle brand in March 2024, originally called American Riviera Orchard. It was renamed As Ever in February 2025. In 2025 she also launched the Netflix series With Love, Meghan and a podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder.
A return to Suits has been floated more than once. In May 2026, a representative for her told E! News there was no truth to rumours that she would reprise Rachel Zane in a reunion film, even though the show’s creator, Aaron Korsh, had previously raised the idea of one.