Meghan Markle found early fame for starring on a popular television show, but her early auditioning days didn’t always land success.
The Duchess of Sussex admitted beauty brands were reluctant to hire her due to her natural, freckled complexion.
Markle, 43, starred as Rachel Zane for seven years on the legal series “Suits,” but prior to hitting it big in entertainment, her commercial agent hit major roadblocks.
The As Ever lifestyle brand founder, who went makeup-free to record the chat, discussed challenges in the beauty industry during an episode of “The Jamie Kern Lima Show.”
“That would have been when I was an actor auditioning for commercials,” Markle said. “And I remember my commercial agent could not submit me for beauty or skincare ads because I had freckles.”
She added, “They’re like, ‘No, no, no, no. It’s just never going to work because freckles aren’t a sign of beauty.’”
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Markle noted that at the time “you couldn’t see yourself reflected” in major skincare and beauty campaigns.
Lima, who founded the popular It Cosmetics brand in 2008, wondered, “What if I could launch a business where I put real people as models? Every age and shape and size and skin tone and skin challenge?”
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“And that was such new thinking then, when you were bringing that to market,” Markle admitted. “Now it may seem more normalized. People listening now will be like, ‘Well, yeah, of course.’ It was not an ‘of course.’ It was a revolutionary way to think about makeup and beauty at the time.”
The former “Deal or No Deal” model left her “Suits” gig in 2018 in pursuit of love and life across the pond with Prince Harry.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from senior royal responsibilities and moved to California in 2020, nearly two years after they married at Windsor Castle.
She’s shied away from returning to television as an actress, but “Suits” creator Aaron Korsh admitted earlier this year that the duchess has an open invite to return for the “Suits LA” spin-off.
“We have thought about whether it be Meghan or any of the other cast members coming on and playing themselves as an actor,” Korsh told People magazine in February.
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“I think, for me, that’s a little … my brain blows up at the thought of that. Obviously, if Meghan wants to come back under any circumstances, Meghan can come back.”
Korsh added, “Of course [she can come back]. Always. But I think, realistically, it would be too much of an explosion of the fourth wall to do that.”
Markle has stayed busy since her acting career was put on pause. After the successful Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” and her new lifestyle show, “With Love, Meghan,” she launched her “As Ever” lifestyle brand this month, nearly one year after initially naming the company “American Riviera Orchard.”
Markle’s “As Ever” line included eight items inspired by the duchess’ love of cooking, entertaining and hostessing. The first drop for the brand noted limited quantities of a crêpe mix, shortbread cookie mix, a few flavors of tea, flower sprinkles, honey and a raspberry spread, all of which sold out in less than an hour.
The duchess shed new light on why she changed names during a recent episode of her podcast, “Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan,” noting that American Riviera Orchard “became this word salad,” adding, “I don’t love that so much.”