Meghan Markle may have relinquished her career as an actress for life as a full-time philanthropic royal, but James Bond film producers had her down as a fierce Bond Girl before her romance with Prince Harry became so public.

The team behind the 25th James Bond film reportedly shortlisted the 36-year-old star for the Spectre follow-up, after being impressed by her role as Rachel Zane in hit legal drama Suits.

Markle reportedly caught the eye of Bond execs who were interested in casting a 'glamorous' American or Canadian star, according to The Sun.

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And it's claimed she made the list alongside 32-year-old Baywatch star Ilfenesh Hadera, who has since been cast as Daniel Craig's love interest in the 2019 film.

'Meghan fits the role of a Bond girl perfectly,' an insider told the newspaper.

'The role more recently has gone to actresses deemed to be rising stars, and Meghan certainly was seen as that before her relationship with Harry became public.

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'The brief was to find a glamorous rising star, specifically someone American or Canadian.'

But producers thought the possibility was no longer feasible when Prince Harry and Markle announced their engagement, after which Markle confirmed during the couple's joint interview that she would no longer continue with her acting career.

'I just see it as a change… It's a new chapter, right?' she said in the BBC interview. 'And also keep in mind I've been working on my show for seven years.

'So we were very, very fortunate to be able to have that sort of longevity on a series, and for me once we hit the 100 episode marker I thought, you know what, I have - I have ticked this box and I feel really proud of the work I have done there and now it's time to, as you said work - work as a team with - with you.'

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Meanwhile, Markle previously spoke out about refusing to take part in 'gratuitous' scenes in Suits after becoming frustrated with too many semi-naked scenes involving her character Rachel.

'This season - every script seemed to begin with, "Rachel enters the room wearing a towel", and I thought, "Nope, I'm not doing it anymore",' Markle explained at the One You World Summit.

'I called the creator and said "it's just gratuitous" - you've already seen it once so at a certain point you feel empowered enough to just say no.'

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Naomi Gordon

Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.