It appears Meghan Markle is welcome to join the cast of The Crown in future seasons. While discussing the hit Netflix drama at Jerusalem's INTV Conference this week, executives of Left Bank (the production company behind the show) discussed the dilemma of running a series based on real-life, significant figures.
'As you get nearer to the present day, there are a lot more people who are alive and well,' said Left Bank CEO Any Harries, according to Variety.
'A lot more people' includes current royal favourites, like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and, of course, Meghan Markle. When the the show finally catches up to present day, who will be cast to play the fab four?
For Markle, the choice is a no-brainer. "'She can play herself,' said Suzanne Mackie, creative director of Left Bank.
Meghan has the training for the role, after years of acting and seven seasons of starring in Suits. But unfortunately, the former actress will likely decline the invite now that she's turned her attention from television to royal life.
'What's been really exciting, as we talk about this as the transition out of my career... is that the causes that have been very important to me, I can focus even more energy on,' she explained in her first interview with fiancé Prince Harry.
In fact, in the past few months, we've seen Markle grow into her role as a future duchess as she takes on public engagements and figures out her responsibilities in the Royal Foundation Forum. We'll miss seeing her on the small screen (and it would have been perfect to see her in The Crown), but Markle felt it was time to move on.
'I don't see it as giving anything up,' she added in the interview. 'I just see it as a change. It's a new chapter. And keep in mind I've been working on my show for seven years. We were very fortunate to have that sort of longevity on a series. For me, once we hit the 100 episode marker, I thought, I have ticked this box and I feel really proud of the work we've done there and now it's time to work as a team with [Harry].'
So with the real-life Markle out of the question, who should portray the onscreen Markle in the show? Matt Smith, who played Prince Philp in Seasons 1 and 2, suggests Selena Gomez. Lifetime, on the other hand, cast Parisa Fitz-Henley (who's already appeared in a Netflix show, Jessica Jones) as the duchess-to-be. Could the streaming service follow suit?
It will be a while until we see Markle's counterpart onscreen (if the showrunners even feature her in the series at all). Right now, The Crown fans are looking forward to the show's third season, which likely won't air until at least 2019.
When it does return, new actors will be playing our favorite royal roles to show the passage of time. The Season 3 cast notably includes Olivia Colman, replacing Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II, and Helena Bonham Carter, replacing Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret.
The episodes, which will cover the years 1964 to 1976, will reportedly introduce Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles' current wife, but Princess Diana might not make a cameo until the following season. Her appearance, and Markle's later on, will certainly be worth the wait.
