Meghan Markle has sparked fresh debate after being spotted back on a film set — despite repeatedly insisting for years that she had permanently walked away from acting.
The Duchess of Sussex was photographed on the set of Close Personal Friends in Pasadena, California,
marking her first acting appearance in nearly eight years. According to reports, Meghan appeared relaxed and cheerful, even introducing herself politely to crew members — a sharp contrast to her long-stated claim that her acting career was firmly behind her.
A low-profile return to the screen
Close Personal Friends is a mid-budget romantic comedy featuring stars such as Lily Collins, Brie Larson, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding. The film follows two couples — one famous, one ordinary — who strike up a friendship while on holiday.
However, Meghan’s role is far from a major comeback. She appears only as a guest cameo, playing herself — a part that requires little dramatic range and offers minimal screen time.
Industry observers note that such roles are typically designed less for artistic merit and more for publicity value.
A surprising reversal
Meghan’s return to acting has raised eyebrows precisely because it appears to contradict her own past statements.
After becoming engaged to Prince Harry in 2017, Meghan publicly declared that she was leaving acting for good.
“I know you should never say never,” she said at the time,
“but my intention is not to go back to acting. I don’t see it as giving anything up, just opening a new chapter.”
She spoke with pride about her seven-year run on Suits, which spanned more than 100 episodes, saying she felt fulfilled and ready to move on. After marriage, she said, her focus would be on supporting Harry and pursuing meaningful social causes.
As recently as 2022, she reiterated this stance in an interview with Variety, saying she had no plans to return to acting.
“A sign of financial pressure”?
Because of those past declarations, Meghan’s sudden reappearance on a film set has been described by critics as confusing — and possibly revealing.
A source told Daily Mail bluntly:
“Acting was never part of the plan again. If she’s doing this now, it suggests the money is running out and they’re under financial pressure.”
Maintaining the Sussexes’ lifestyle — including their Montecito mansion and round-the-clock private security — is estimated to cost around $4 million a year. Several sources have suggested this financial burden may explain why Meghan has recently pursued multiple ventures simultaneously, including a return to the screen.
Counter-arguments: charity and donations
Supporters point out that Harry and Meghan have continued to make significant charitable donations, including £1.1 million to Children in Need in the UK, as well as funding projects addressing youth violence in Nottingham and disaster relief following Storm Melissa in Jamaica.
If the couple were truly facing a cash crisis, critics argue, such contributions would be difficult to sustain using personal funds alone.
A brand in need of momentum?
Another explanation offered by industry insiders is not desperation, but stagnation.
Despite launching numerous personal ventures — from jam-making and fashion initiatives to reality television and lifestyle content — none have delivered sustained success.
“Nothing she’s tried recently has really landed,” a source told Daily Mail.
“When that happens, people start trying everything to regain momentum.”
Following the initial success of the Harry & Meghan Netflix documentary in 2022, subsequent projects under the couple’s reported £100 million Netflix deal failed to generate comparable interest.
Heart of Invictus and Polo, both centred on Prince Harry, attracted limited audiences, while Meghan’s lifestyle programme With Love, Meghan struggled to make an impact.
Her food brand As Ever faced delays due to trademark disputes, and while some products reportedly sold out quickly, restocking has been slow and plans for wider retail distribution have yet to materialise.
Fashion, business — and now acting
In recent months, Meghan has also positioned herself increasingly within the fashion and business worlds. She attended Paris Fashion Week, appeared at a Balenciaga show, featured on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar, and spoke at Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women event as a brand founder.
These appearances have fuelled speculation that Meghan is seeking to reassert her public profile across multiple industries at once.
Against that backdrop, her return to acting appears less like a creative calling — and more like another attempt to stay visible.
A return Hollywood was waiting for?
Daily Mail also notes that Meghan may never have truly abandoned acting ambitions. The Sussexes’ decision to settle in California after leaving Britain placed them firmly in the heart of Hollywood — a move that now appears increasingly deliberate.
Whether this marks a full return to the screen or merely a brief cameo remains to be seen.
But for critics, the question lingers:
Is Meghan Markle acting again because she wants to — or because she has to?
Either way, her unexpected return has reopened old debates about consistency, credibility and the real motivations behind the Sussexes’ next chapter.