Meghan Markle was a star in her own right for years before she donned her first tiara and stepped into the overwhelming spotlight of royal life.
As the star of the hit legal drama Suits, she was a regular on red carpets and interview shows. She also had a loyal following on her hugely successful lifestyle blog, The Tig, which she used as a platform to share travel tips, recipes, and life advice.
But her old acting CV has resurfaced, believed to be from when she was about 24, showing just how many strings the talented American has to her bow. Not only was the now Duchess of Sussex a trained dancer, but she can also speak multiple languages.
It begins by listing her basic credentials – stating that she’s 5ft 6in with brown hair and eyes.
It then goes through her acting experience, including an appearance on General Hospital and a small part as ‘Hot Chick’ in A Lot Like Love, which also starred Aston Kutcher.
There are also a number of theatre jobs listed, including the part of July/Star to Be in Annie and a role in Richard Harris’s 1984 play Stepping Out.
She then focuses on special skills which could come in handy for different roles. She lists ballet, jazz, and tap dancing, and experience in musical theatre, as well as being fluent in Spanish and proficient in French.
The passionate fitness and yoga fan write that she kickboxes too.
That skill was put to the test when she scored the role that propelled her to fame, on US legal drama Suits.
Her personal trainer for the show has previously revealed he put her through her paces – and that she speaks Spanish with an Argentine accent.
Jorge Blanco, who also worked with Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky, told Vanity Fair Spain he trained Meghan in kickboxing and martial arts as she filmed the show.
“I trained Meghan when she was in Toronto during the shooting of the series ‘Suits’. We did a little bit of martial arts, a little boxing, and sometimes kickboxing.
“I never really thought she could end up being a princess! I had a great time training with her because she’s super nice and speaks Spanish, with an Argentine accent.”
Blanco even offered to train Harry and Meghan if they were ever back in Toronto.
Meghan quit her acting career when things with Harry became senior, focusing all her time on life as a working royal.
But a close friend of Prince Philip has claimed the Queen was happy for her to continue her career.
In his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Gyles Brandreth said the late Monarch did “everything she could” to ensure Meghan’s happiness.
He writes: “She did everything she could to make her future granddaughter-in-law feel welcome. She was concerned for her future happiness. At their first meeting, the Queen said to Meghan: ‘You can carry on being an actress if you like – that’s your profession, after all.’
“But Meghan was ready for royal duty and, of course, the Queen was delighted by that. She was particularly delighted by the enthusiasm Meghan showed for the Commonwealth and the commitment she made to the Queen to do ‘whatever you think we should be doing for the Commonwealth’.
She promised the Queen that when it came to the Commonwealth she wouldn’t let Her Majesty down. The Queen liked Meghan and told lots of people so.”
