Meghan Markle Returns to Hollywood, Teams Up With Brie Larson for Amazon MGM Film
Meghan Markle is back on screen, joining Brie Larson in a new Amazon MGM Studios film—her first major acting role in years.
Meghan Markle is back on a film set. Yes, that Meghan Markle. After years of focusing on everything except acting, she has quietly joined the cast of an Amazon MGM Studios comedy and has already been spotted filming in California.
The project
The movie is called Close Personal Friends, and it is coming from writer-director Jason Orley. Think: a comedy about a couple who head to Santa Barbara and suddenly find themselves running into famous people. Production kicked off in London and then shifted stateside, with cameras recently rolling in Pasadena.
Amazon isn’t saying a word about Meghan’s involvement, but multiple trades say she is in the cast. One UK tabloid claims it is a small role. Either way, this is her first scripted acting job since she left Suits in 2017 ahead of her 2018 wedding.
One person who was on set described Meghan as relaxed, happy, and the kind of actor who introduces herself to everyone and keeps it down-to-earth.
- Title: Close Personal Friends
- Studio: Amazon MGM Studios
- Writer-director: Jason Orley
- Cast: Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid, Henry Golding, and Meghan Markle
- Premise: A couple’s Santa Barbara trip turns into a brush-with-celebs comedy
- Production: Started in London, moved to California; Meghan was seen filming in Pasadena
- Role size: Reportedly small (Amazon declined to comment)
Why this is a thing
It has been eight years since Meghan acted in anything scripted. Suits creator Aaron Korsh once said he considered asking her to cameo in the series finale, then decided not to out of respect for her new life. Since stepping away from acting, her on-camera work has mostly been on the unscripted side through Archewell, including a lifestyle/cooking project at Netflix.
As for the timing, one studio source framed this as Meghan testing the waters again: a gentle re-entry to see how being back on set feels. Another says Prince Harry is fully in her corner and wants her to do what makes her happy. The two live in Santa Barbara with their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, which makes the film’s Santa Barbara angle a fun little wrinkle.
It is Meghan’s way of putting a toe back in, seeing if she enjoys the vibe again — with Harry cheering her on.
No release date yet, but the takeaway is simple: Meghan Markle is officially acting again, and she picked a low-key comedy with a stacked cast to do it. Smart move.