What Meghan Markle Was Really Like On Deal Or No Deal, According To A Former Costar

Before Meghan Markle married into the royal family, she was making her mark in the entertainment industry, which is how she made her fortune. This includes her starring role on the series "Suits" for seven seasons before her 2017 exit from the show. However, prior to her most well-known acting job, Markle was featured on the game show, "Deal or No Deal."

Markle served as one of the briefcase girls on the show who held two of the cases with the numbers on them. Markle would smile as she held numbers 24 and 26, waiting for contestants to announce which one they wanted to open. Her fellow briefcase model, Lisa Gleave, told the Gold Coast Bulletin that the Duchess of Sussex was "quiet but very sweet." Still, Gleave knew right away that Markle would not be on the show for long. "I remember her being very focused on her acting career and her role as a briefcase beauty, as we were called, was just a stepping stone in her career," Gleave shared. The wife of Prince Harry has also touched on her "Deal or No Deal" days, admitting they were not as glamorous as they appeared.

In a 2018 interview with Esquire, Meghan Markle reflected on her "Deal or No Deal" journey, which doesn't appear to have been fun for the one-time entertainer. According to the Duchess of Sussex, she only took the position while trying to pay her bills while pursuing her big break. "Definitely working on 'Deal or No Deal' was a learning experience, and it helped me to understand what I would rather be doing," Markle explained.

Later in the conversation, the mother of two spoke about the working conditions, which were not ideal on the show's main stage. "I would end up standing up there forever in these terribly uncomfortable and inexpensive five-inch heels just waiting for someone to pick my number so I could go and sit down," Markle added. She remained on the game show for the second season from 2006 and 2007, but eventually made her debut on "Suits" in 2011, with even Prince William and Kate Middleton being fans of her performance. And while Markle has been away from the scripted television world for several years, she could be plotting her return.

Meghan Markle may be dusting off her acting skills, with rumors of her returning to Hollywood continuing to circulate. After reruns of "Suits" began streaming on Netflix in June 2023, an insider told Life & Style Magazine in August of that year that the show being on the streaming platform made people want more of Markle. "'Suits' is such a hit in reruns that Meghan's being told there's a demand from fans to see her act again. She's excited."

With Prince Harry and Markle moving to California in 2020 and distancing themselves from the royal family, the couple were forced to make a living for themselves. A previous Spotify deal rumored to be worth $20 million fell through, which allegedly left Markle looking for new streams of income, according to the source. "With other opportunities drying up, she's actively looking for roles and talking to some big-name directors and producers. Harry is 100 percent supportive of all of it." She has already helped bring to life three documentaries to Netflix: "Heart of Invictus," "Live to Lead" and "Harry & Meghan," through their company, Archewell Productions. During Variety's Power of Women event in November 2023, she teased that there were more film projects to come, telling the outlet, "I can't wait until we can announce them, but I'm just really proud of what we're creating."