Before becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was better known for her role as Rachel Zane in Suits . The USA Network legal drama aired from 2011 to 2019, with Megan sticking around until season seven, taking her character on a journey from paralegal to lawyer. Suits enjoyed a rebirth in the streaming realm after the show was ultimately canceled, but its recent record-breaking success on Netflix and Peacock has exceeded even former stars like Meghan's imagination.
Duchess' theory
Meghan attended Variety magazine 's Power of Girls event on Nov. 16, when the outlet's red carpet reporter Angelique Jackson asked her about suits becoming a phenomenon again. "Isn't this wild?" Megan said with a smile. Meghan was shocked when Jackson told her that 45 billion minutes had been watched as of that week. "Is that right?" she asked.
Jackson specifically asked Meghan for her thoughts on why the show has been getting so much love lately (including staying at the top of the list on Netflix for longer than any other show). At first, the Duchess of Sussex said she had "no idea." She did, however, continue to speculate.
"It's hard to find a show these days that you can watch so many episodes in one sitting, so that might have something to do with it," she said. And, just as importantly, she added: “Good shows are timeless.”
Meghan's Suit Era
Before sharing her theory, Meghan also recalled some of her experiences on the show, including some of the factors that contributed to Suits ' success. “It’s great to work,” she said. "The cast and crew were great. We had a really great time. I've been on it for seven seasons, so that's quite a lot."
Meghan was still starring in Suits when she started dating Prince Harry in 2016. However, when they got engaged the following November, America announced she would be quitting the show. "I don't think it means giving up anything, I just think it's a change," Meghan told the BBC's Mishal Husain in her first interview with Harry about giving up acting cause. "This is a new chapter."
Meghan specifically reflected on her time on Suits and shared why she has no regrets about moving on. "Keep in mind, I've been working on my show for seven years," she said. "So, we're very, very lucky to have such a long life as a series. And, for me, once we hit the 100-episode mark, I thought, 'You know what, I've checked this box, I'm Very proud of the work I did there,' and now it's time, as you said, to work with [Harry]."
As it turns out, this was just the beginning of Suits 's longevity.
