Meghan Markle’s former co-star reveals what he told her before royal wedding

‘I know she would love to act again,’ actor Wendell Pierce says about Duchess of Sussex

Meghan Markle’s former Suits co-star has disclosed what he said to her before her royal wedding to Prince Harry.

The Duchess of Sussex rose to fame playing paralegal Rachel Zane in the USA network legal drama. Wendell Pierce - who played her father, Robert Zane, in the series - revealed in a forthcoming episode of Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? what he told Markle after her final scene.

“It was the last night of working and I said, ‘Meghan, your life is going to change, and you’re going to be in a bubble, but just always remember, no matter what, I’m your friend - you have lots of friends,’” he recalled to host Chris Wallace, in a teaser obtained by People.

Pierce continued: “‘We’re always thinking about you, we’ll always be there for you. And you know, no matter where you are, always know you have a friend in me.’”

At another point in the episode, Pierce was asked what Markle is like as an “actress” and a “person.”

“She’s wonderful. She’s wonderful as both. She’s the nicest person ever,” he said. “And I actually, the one thing that bothers me the most right now for Meghan is the fact that I know she would love to act again.”

(AFP via Getty Images)

During his appearance on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, Pierce was also asked about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s step back from royal life in 2020 and tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

“The controversy and the life living in the public eye always takes on a life of its own. And it’s almost one of those things that sometimes you can’t control,” Pierce said. “And then the suggestion I make to her in public interviews like this is always rely on your love. You love this man. You love your two children.”

This isn’t the first time a Suits cast member has talked about Markle’s royal life. Rick Hoffman - who played Louis Litt on the show - appeared on a recent episode of the Chicks in the Office podcast, where he discussed being caught on camera during the 2018 royal wedding with what he described as an “awful face”. Instead, it was a reaction to something he smelled during the ceremony.

“As time goes on, I’m starting to smell something really terrible and foul, and I’m very sensitive when it comes to that so I start to try to do this,” Hoffman said, while covering his face. “Because I have a coconut vanilla moisturizer, and I like to try to cut it. How can I help getting away from this goofy face?”

The actor recalled sitting next to another Suits alum, Sarah Rafferty, as he mentioned liking to tease her. At one point, he was “doing something ridiculous” to get a reaction out of Rafferty, before she told him to “cut it out.”

However, Hoffman recalled going over to his friends after he was unable to handle the smell anymore. “Because I don’t want them to think it’s me because I’m so particular when it comes to hygiene,” he joked.

“So I’m like, ‘Do you guys smell that?’ And they’re like, ‘No.’ So now I’m like literally by myself and I’m just going, ‘Mother...,’” Hoffman said. “And that’s what they got [on camera].”

“Guess who knew that the most in the cast that I had an issue with other people’s hygiene?” Hoffman asked, before answering himself: “Meghan! Always knew and would always laugh about how I was so sensitive.”