Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was a working actor. In addition to her role as Rachel Zane in Suits, Meghan starred in multiple movies for the Hallmark Channel. It turns out she’s not the only person associated with the royal family with a connection to the feel-good network.
Meghan Markle starred in two Hallmark Channel movies
Before falling in love with Prince Harry, Meghan was on her way to becoming a familiar face at Hallmark. She played the female lead in two movies for the channel: 2014’s When Sparks Fly and 2016’s Dater’s Handbook.
In When Sparks Fly, Meghan plays a woman who returns home to help save her family’s fireworks business. In Dater’s Handbook, she portrays a woman who tries to find the perfect partner by following the advice in a popular relationship book.
“You have to follow your heart to find true love,” she said when discussing the message of Dater’s Handbook in a behind-the-scenes video for Hallmark. “At the end of the day, when it comes does to finding the person you’re actually right for, that’s not the person you’re going to play games with.”
Sarah Ferguson has a cameo in ‘An American in Austen’
Surprisingly, Meghan isn’t the only person connected to the British royal family with ties to Hallmark. In 2024, viewers who watched An American in Austen might’ve been surprised to see that Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, had a cameo.
The movie follows a young American woman named Harriet (Eliza Bennett). She is frustrated that modern-day men, including her boyfriend, are nothing like Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. After rejecting her boyfriend’s proposal, Harriet is magically transported into her favorite book. While getting to know Elizabeth Bennett (Nell Barlow), her sisters, and Mr. Darcy (Nicholas Bishop), Harriet attends a ball, where she meets a duchess, who is played by Ferguson. (Ferguson was also an executive producer of the movie.)
“I … had five lines in An American In Austen, which is a TV show about this American girl that dives into Austenland where she meets Mrs. Bennett and the daughters who arrive at the ball to meet the Duchess, who’s me. I’m in my big dress. ‘Oh, good evening, Mrs. Bennett…,’” Ferguson told Platinum.
The Duchess of York also had a cameo in ‘Friends’
Ferguson’s bit role in An American in Austen was not her first time acting. Prince Andrew’s ex-wife also made a cameo appearance in Friends in 1998. She played herself.
In an Instagram post after Matthew Perry’s death in October 2023, the duchess recalled meeting one of the stars of the hit sitcom.
“Remember being thrilled to have met a natural talent, comedian, and brilliant actor,” she captioned the photo of herself posing with Perry and the rest of the cast, including Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox. “It is a tragedy to lose you so early in life; rest in peace dear Matthew. You have given so much joy and laughter to many.
The royal wants to appear in ‘Bridgerton’
Since appearing in Hallmark’s period rom-com, Ferguson has expressed interest in taking on more acting roles. Recently, she admitted to angling for a role in Bridgerton.
“I’ve asked my agent to get me on Bridgerton!” Fergie, who is herself the author of multiple period romance novels, told Platinum. “The set designs are incredible! I could be a long-lost friend for Penelope. I just have to be on Bridgerton.”
As for Meghan, she has put acting behind her since marrying Harry. But she hasn’t given up on Hollywood. Since quitting royal life in 2020, she and her husband have pursued a number of other projects, including podcasts and producing documentaries, through their company, Archewell Productions. She is also developing a movie for Netflix based on Carley Fortune’s romance novel Meet Me at the Lake.
