Meghan Markle's Revelations from 'Variety' Interview (Including Prince Harry's In-N-Out Obsession!)
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Get to know Meghan Markle!
The Duchess of Sussex, 41, chatted with Variety for a new interview tied to the magazine's Power of Women issue. The magazine announced Meghan as an honoree for the special issue on Sept. 14, though the release of her cover was postponed "out of respect for the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II," who died at age 96 on Sept. 8. In addition to the Archetypes host, Variety honored Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, Malala Yousafzai and Elizabeth Olsen in this year's Power of Women circle.
In the wide-ranging interview released Wednesday, Meghan chatted about everything from her shared home office Prince Harry to grieving Queen Elizabeth's death to how she'd react if her two children — son Archie Harrison, 3, and daughter Lilibet Diana, 1 — wanted to go into the entertainment industry.
Ramona Rosales for Variety Meghan Markle
She's done with acting...
The former Suits star was asked if she'd consider acting again, to which she responded, "No. I'm done. I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not."
...But not Hollywood
Meghan and Prince Harry, 38, signed a multiyear deal with Netflix in 2020, and the Duchess of Sussex discussed a docuseries helmed by director Liz Garbus that will center on the couple in the Variety interview.
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"It's nice to be able to trust someone with our story — a seasoned director whose work I've long admired — even if it means it may not be the way we would have told it. But that's not why we're telling it. We're trusting our story to someone else, and that means it will go through their lens," she said. "It's interesting. My husband has never worked in this industry before. For me, having worked on Suits, it's so amazing to be around so much creative energy and to see how people work together and share their own points of view. That's been really fun.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Meghan Markle
What you won't see from Meghan and Harry's Netflix projects
"I don't think you'll ever see us doing a horror film," Meghan said.
Meghan is fine with Archie and Lili getting into the entertainment industry
In fact, she would say it's "great!"
"When you become a parent, you genuinely want your kids to find the things that bring them complete joy," Meghan said. "They're our kids, obviously, and they're part of a legacy and a tradition and a family that will have other expectations. But I want them to be able to carve out their own path. If it's the entertainment industry, great. And also, good luck. There are so many people that will talk about what opened the door for my children. But it still takes talent and a lot of grit. We're creating multidimensional, interesting, kind, creative people. That's who our kids are."
Meghan's thoughts on an actor playing her as a role someday
"I haven't given that much thought, to be honest. It's all weird. You have to compartmentalize. Anyone talking about me or casting an actor to play me, that will be a caricature of me that has been created for a business that makes people a lot of money," she said. "Once you can separate that out, it's much easier to go: 'OK. That actually has nothing to do with me.' It genuinely doesn't. It's a hard lesson to come to grips with."
Meghan added, "I hope that in preparing for that role, she finds the softness and the playfulness and the laughter. The silliness. I just hope she finds the dimensions. Also, she can call me!"
She's listening to Beyoncé's new album
Meghan and Beyoncé memorably came face-to-face at the 2019 London premiere of The Lion King, and the Duchess of Sussex has been listening to Renaissance. Her favorite track from the new album is "Cozy."
However, she's not immune to some catchy tunes from her son Archie's favorite children's shows. In a video shared by Variety, Meghan raps some lines from a Ask the StoryBots song about a Tyrannosaurus rex.
Meghan and Prince Harry share a home office
The Duchess of Sussex revealed that she and her husband work out of the same room in their Montecito, California home. "We work from home, as most people started to do during lockdown," she said. "It allows us to have significant time with our kids at this really special moment in their lives. We'll never get this time back."
As for their work styles, Harry is "very good at responding on text," while Meghan says, "I try to be as fast as possible on email. I've always said, if it takes less than five minutes, do it now."
Meghan also said they're "commuters" who head to Los Angeles, about two hours away, for meetings — and there's often a pit stop...
Prince Harry loves In-N-Out Burger
...at In-N-Out!
"My husband's favorite is In-N-Out," Meghan says. "There's one at the halfway point between L.A. and our neck of the woods. It's really fun to go through the drive-thru and surprise them. They know our order."
OLI SCARFF/AFP Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Meghan has some relatable ways to spend her down time
The Duchess of Sussex said she enjoys watching Jeopardy! and playing Wordle in bed with a glass of wine. She's also a fan of Julia Roberts movies, although her favorite rom-com of all time is When Harry Met Sally. Together, Meghan and Harry watched The White Lotus.
Meghan shared her reaction to her interview in The Cut
In August, the Duchess of Sussex appeared on the cover of New York Magazine's offshoot along with an interview "which some found to be snarky," as Variety put it.
"The [New York] story was intended to support Archetypes and focus on our projects," she said of her Spotify podcast. "I've had some time to reflect on it. Part of me is just really trusting, really open — that's how I move in the world. I have to remember that I don't ever want to become so jaded that that piece of me goes away. So despite any of those things? Onward. I can survive it."
Speaking of Archetypes...
Meghan said her most challenging interview so far for the podcast was guest Paris Hilton.
"I told her at the beginning that I was the most nervous about her interview. I was embarrassed to admit it, but I've had a judgment about her that's based on everything I've seen, and I don't like to come from a place of judgment," she said."
How Meghan and Prince Harry are grieving Queen Elizabeth
The Duchess of Sussex shared her gratitude for the outpouring of support following Queen Elizabeth's death on Sept. 8. The couple were in Europe for a series of charity events with longstanding causes when the monarch died, and Meghan was thankful to be there for her husband.
"What's so beautiful is to look at the legacy that his grandmother was able to leave on so many fronts," Meghan said of the Queen's legacy. "Certainly, in terms of female leadership, she is the most shining example of what that looks like. I feel deep gratitude to have been able to spend time with her and get to know her."
"It's been a complicated time, but my husband, ever the optimist, said, 'Now she's reunited with her husband,' " she added, referring to Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at age 99.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Meghan's first outing following her Oprah Winfrey interview
Meghan recalled attending Gloria Steinem's birthday party one week after her and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah aired in March 2021.
"I really wanted to celebrate her at what I thought was just going to be a small and intimate birthday lunch," she said. "I envisioned it being us eating sandwiches in this cottage she was staying at. Instead, it was an extravaganza — by the way, as she deserves. But I hadn't really seen people in a long time, and the interview had come out maybe a week before."
The Duchess of Sussex continued, "Walking into a room alone is never easy for me, and I remember feeling a bit uncomfortable. But before I could let my uncertainty linger, Pamela Adlon came up to me and greeted me with such warmth and kindness. She toured me around the room, and at every turn, more generosity and love was felt. Maybe it's just a testament to the kind of company Glo keeps, but I also think these women were extraordinary to ensure I felt so welcomed. It's like they knew exactly what I needed to feel in that moment. It meant, and still means, so very much to me. The power of sisterhood and female support can never be underestimated."
