Meghan Markle Returns to Acting After Seven Years — Duchess to Star in Amazon MGM Film Close Personal Friends

After a seven-year hiatus from Hollywood, Meghan Markle is officially returning to the screen. The Duchess of Sussex, 44, is set to appear in a new Amazon MGM Studios movie titled Close Personal Friends, marking her first acting role since leaving the hit legal drama Suits in 2017.

According to The Sun, Markle was spotted on set in Pasadena, California, earlier this week, where filming has been underway under tight secrecy. The film, directed by Jason Orley (Big Time Adolescence), also stars Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid, and Henry Golding, forming an ensemble that has already drawn significant buzz online.

“Meghan was on the set today,” a production insider told People (Nov. 6, 2025). “She seemed very relaxed and happy. She introduced herself to everyone and was incredibly down-to-earth.”

The source clarified that Markle’s part in the film is a small but meaningful cameo, and intriguingly, she is said to be playing herself. Another insider told The Sun that the Duchess’ return marks “a massive moment for Meghan — a full-circle return to something she truly loves.”

“She has been swamped with offers since Suits found a second life on Netflix,” the source continued, “but this one felt right. Everyone involved is thrilled — and sworn to secrecy.”

Prince Harry, 41, has reportedly been fully supportive, encouraging his wife to pursue whatever “brings her joy,” according to People.

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A Film About Fame, Friendship, and Boundaries

Close Personal Friends centers “on one couple that befriends a celebrity couple during a trip to Santa Barbara, only to find personal boundaries blurred in comedic ways,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project began filming in London in September before moving to California for its U.S. scenes.

Director Jason Orley, who rose to prominence with his 2019 coming-of-age dramedy Big Time Adolescence starring Pete Davidson, is expected to give the film “a witty and self-aware tone,” exploring themes of fame, privacy, and social authenticity — a topic Markle herself knows all too well (Variety).

Brie Larson, fresh off her The Marvels press tour, and Emily in Paris star Lily Collins will reportedly play the lead couple, with Markle’s cameo adding a “meta-Hollywood twist” to the story.

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From Suits to Sussex — and Back Again

Markle, born and raised in Los Angeles, began her career with small roles on General Hospital in 2002 before appearing in films such as Horrible Bosses (2011) and Remember Me (2010). Her big break came in 2011 with the USA Network series Suits, where she portrayed Rachel Zane, a paralegal-turned-lawyer.

After announcing her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017, Markle retired from acting and left the series. Her final Suits episode aired in April 2018 — just one month before her royal wedding.

“It’s a new chapter,” she told the BBC at the time. “I’ve ticked this box and feel very proud of the work I’ve done. Now it’s time to work with [Harry] as a team.”

Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the couple have built a new life in Montecito, California, where they live with their two children, Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4. Together they founded Archewell Productions and signed multi-million-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify, producing projects like Harry & Meghan (2022) and the docuseries Heart of Invictus.

However, Markle previously told Variety in a 2022 interview that she had no plans to act again:

“I guess never say never, but my intention is absolutely not,” she said at the time.

That makes this week’s announcement all the more surprising — and, for fans, exciting.

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A Full-Circle Moment

Industry analysts view Markle’s comeback as both symbolic and strategic. BBC Entertainment News noted that the Duchess’ decision to return “reflects a renewed comfort with public life — this time on her own terms, away from the constraints of royal protocol.”

The film’s themes of fame and friendship are especially fitting for someone who has lived both the glare of celebrity and the scrutiny of monarchy. “If there’s anyone who understands the fine line between public image and personal truth,” Variety commented, “it’s Meghan Markle.”

Close Personal Friends is expected to premiere in late 2026 on Amazon Prime Video following its theatrical release.

Whether this signals a one-time return or the beginning of a new Hollywood chapter, one thing is clear: Meghan Markle is once again stepping into the spotlight — not as a duchess, but as an actress reclaiming her craft.