Meghan Markle explored the freedom and fulfilment that can be found when we break away from societal labels in the latest episode of her podcast, Archetypes.
She expressed the importance of uniqueness and individuality during open conversations with author Candace Bushnell and actress Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, both of whom have used their creative mediums to go beyond the stereotypes.
Michaela is an accomplished actor, singer, model and trans rights activist perhaps best known for her historic performance in the TV show Pose.
Her portrayal of the fierce ballroom housemother Blanca Evangelista earned her an Emmy Award nomination — the first time a transgender woman received one for a major acting category. It also earned her a Golden Globe win, another major first for her and for the trans community.
But, as Meghan explains, “before all that — she was a theatre kid growing up in Newark, New Jersey in the Nineties and Noughties. And she was known as simply MJ”.
Michaela revealed the nickname stemmed from a character in Spiderman during her “childhood days”, but as she has continued to evolve — it has become Michaela Jaé.
She said: “As a child, you come up with nicknames, but you don’t know how much of an impact they have on other people and also how people get stuck in that nickname. They get stuck in the name they’ve been calling you.”
However, the actress shared that there is one nickname she has been kept on since her childhood. “My mum used to call me ‘boomper’ when I was a child. She still slips up and calls me it today, which I have no problem with because who doesn’t like being coddled by their mum?” she revealed.
Meghan admitted her mum “still calls me ‘Flower'”. Michaela asked: “Don’t you love it though? There’s still a little piece of like, awe mama.”
The Duchess responded: “I do, I’ll be a 41-year-old flower. That’s fine.”
