Before Meghan Markle became a member of the British royal family last year, many people knew her as Rachel Zane in the American legal drama TV series Suits. Prior to being the Duchess of Sussex, Markle struggled on getting herself an acting gig and even got rejected.
Meghan Markle Struggled in the Show Business
The television host Wendy Williams could testify Markle’s difficulties on landing a role because she once came to her asking for a job on her talk show. Williams shared the story on one of The Wendy Williams Show episodes, which happen to be the show that turned her down. Williams could still recall the day when the now-a-royalty former Deal of No Deal briefcase girl stepped foot on their building.
Williams admitted that she thought of Markle as a wild card, that’s why she was hesitant about hiring her. Her reputation as one of the Deal or No Deal ladies wasn’t strong enough to convince Williams that she’s worthy of the job. As heartbreaking her showbiz career may be, Markle had a twist of fate when she met Prince Harry. She went from being a shadow in the Hollywood scene to being the brightest star in the eyes of the Duke of Sussex.
Television and Film
Based on the reports, Markle was getting a $50,000 salary on each episode of Suits, giving her an annual income of $450,000. She also earned $187,000 from the movie Remember Me in 2010, and another $171,429 for the short film The Candidate. Markle made occasional appearances in several television series such as Cuts, Love, Inc., 90210, Knight Rider, Without a Trace, The League, and Castle.
The Tig
Markle was very vocal about her opinions and thoughts on being a feminist. In 2014, she founded a lifestyle website called The Tig, where she featured a list of influential and powerful women. Her website also discussed other topics such as food blogs, fashion and beauty tips, and travel journals.
The website’s social media accounts gained tremendous success when Markle focused on making contents that talk about self-love, positive vibrations, and spirituality. It earned three million Instagram followers, 800,000 on Facebook, and 350,000 on Twitter. Markle reportedly made $80,000 yearly from product endorsements and brand partnership before taking down The Tig and all its social media platforms.
And She Lived Happily Ever After!
Markle’s life is like a Cinderella story. Aside from her hardship in her career, she also went through a divorce with her previous partner Trevor Engelson. They dated for seven years before getting married in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on September 10, 2011. They decided to finally put an end to their quarrelsome partnership in August 2013.
