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She’s one of the most famous women in the world.
And Meghan Markle has made no secret of how she fought for her big break as an actress.
Now her pre-royal CV shows the minor roles she took before hitting the jackpot with Suits, as well as revealing a stunning black-and-white headshot.
It is unknown when the résumé was first used, as it has no date on it, but it appears to be before her stint as a suitcase model on Deal or No Deal, which she first appeared on in 2006.
The last role listed was her first professional film role where she played the part of ‘Natalie “Hot Chick”‘ in Ashton Kutcher’s 2005 rom com A Lot Like Love.
The CV was shared on social media alongside details such as her hobbies and eye colour.
While it is hard to imagine a life before Meghan Markle was a successful actress, or indeed a member of the royal family, an old CV and headshot posted to Facebook offer a glimpse into her life. Pictured: A stunning black-and-white headshot published by an unknown user on Facebook
It is unknown when the résumé was first used, as it has no date on it, but her stint as a suitcase model on Deal or No Deal which she first appeared on in 2006. It included a range of skills, from her minor acting roles to her ability to speak in two different languages
It also listed Meghan’s height and weight at the time, revealing she was 5’6″ and weighed 113lbs (8st 7), with her hair and eyes both described simply as ‘brown’.
At the time the document was printed, Meghan only had a few roles on TV, including a two-episode appearance on General Hospital in 2001, where she played a nurse named Jill, and a role in CBS’s sci-fi legal drama, Century City, in 2004 where she played a party guest named Natasha.
Before these stints, her experience was much more limited, including the starring roles she played while studying at Northwestern University and an appearance on Nick News W5 when she was 11 years old.
There was also a section on the CV that listed theatre roles, which included playing roles in Annie, Into The Woods and Stepping Out, the 1984 play that was written by British writer Richard Harris in 1984.
Meghan would have been around the age of 24 when she wrote this CV.
It also included the intensive training she had undergone, including a number of professionals in various disciplines from ‘TV/Film’ to ‘Musical Comedy’ and ‘Voice for Performance’.
Other skills include her proficiency to speak fluently in French and Spanish, her dancing and kickboxing skills.
The Facebook user who shared these insights into her previous life, revealed that the management group they worked for could not get an agency to hire her because she had ‘just a few credits’.
One role listed on her resume included a two episode appearance on General Hospital in 2001 where she played a nurse called Gill (pictured)
After this CV was published, Meghan went on to become a briefcase girl on the gameshow Deal or No Deal. She starred in 34 episodes in total from 2006 and 2007, beginning with briefcases 11 and 12 before matching with briefcase number 24. Pictured: Meghan on Season 2 of Deal or No Deal
The CV also included the intensive training she had undergone, including a number of professionals in various disciplines from ‘TV/Film’ to ‘Musical Comedy’ and ‘Voice for Performance’
They wrote ‘I had the pleasure to meet the lovely Meghan Markle several times as an agent but funny enough I couldn’t get the agency to sign her with just a few credits’ adding that she ‘kept calling’, despite her lack of experience.
The post added: ‘I wondered today if her cell still works?’ the poster continued, before adding that they ‘really had an instinct about her so much that I had her headshot/resume and cell on file’.
The unknown individual then jokes about ‘calling her tomorrow’ adding the ‘least they can do is let the owner of old cell number know’.
The poster then goes on to praise Mark Teschner, the casting director on General Hospital, for his decision to give Meghan ‘her first network television credit’, writing: ‘You sure knew how to pick them.’
Over the years, the actress began to slowly build on her experience, including playing the role of Cori in an episode of the Shannon Elizabeth series Cuts in 2005.
Later that year she played the role of Teresa in an episode of the Busy Phillips show Love, Inc.
By 2006 she had booked more small roles in TV, appearing in an episode of The War at Home (which starred Michael Rapaport), the TV movie Deceit (starring Emmanuelle Chriqui and Matt Long), and an episode of CSI: NY.
Later that year she gained a steadier gig as a briefcase girl on the game show Deal or Deal.
Meghan also listed the starring roles she played while studying at Northwestern University and an appearance on Nick News W5 when she was 11 years old (pictured)
Before landing her major starring role on Suits, she kept busy with a bunch of minor TV roles, including Knight Rider, Without a Trace, Fringe, The League, and CSI: Miami (pictured)
She starred in 34 episodes in total from 2006 and 2007, beginning with briefcases 11 and 12 before matching with briefcase number 24.
In 2013, Meghan reflected on the role, telling Esquire that it had been a way to pay the bills as she looked for a more enjoyable role.
She said: ‘Definitely working on Deal or No Deal was a learning experience, and it helped me to understand what I would rather be doing.’
‘It was ‘in the category of things I was doing while I was auditioning to try to make ends meet’, she added.
After leaving the show in 2007, she entered more traditional acting roles, including having a minor role on the 90210 reboot in 2008, where she played the role of Wendy, and one-episode with ‘Til Death.
In that year she also gained roles in two more films, including The Apostles and Good Behavior, the latter of which also starred her suits co-star Patrick J. Adams.
By 2009, at 27 years old, Meghan nabbed a starring role in a Tostitos commercial, that resurfaced soon after her engagement to the Duke of Sussex was announced.
Over the next three years, before landing her major starring role on Suits, she kept busy with a bunch of minor TV roles, including Knight Rider, Without a Trace, Fringe, The League, and CSI: Miami.
She started picking up more movie roles, too, appearing in Remember Me and Horrible Bosses.
The Facebook user who shared these insights into her previous life, revealed that the management group they worked for could not get an agency to hire her because she had ‘just a few credits’
The last role listed was her first professional film role where she played the part of ‘Natalie “Hot Chick”‘ in Ashton Kutcher’s 2005 rom com A Lot Like Love. Pictured: Meghan playing the role alongside Ashton Kutcher
In 2011 her big break came, and she was offered the chance to play the role of Rachel Zane on Suits. Pictured: Meghan alongside Rick Hoffman who played Louis Litt in the popular series
Finally in 2011 her big break came, and she was offered the chance to play the role of Rachel Zane on Suits.
She appeared on 108 episodes of the series that ran until 2018.
Whilst playing the popular role, she also starred in other films including Random Encounters and Anti-Social, started her blog The Tig, and used her growing fame to add some brand partnerships with Birchbox, Reitmans, and Bobbi Brown.
Following the announcement of engagement to Prince Harry, however, she announced she would be stepping down from acting to start her new life as a working royal in the UK.
The Queen had told Meghan before joining the royal family that she could carry on acting if she wanted to, Princess Diana’s biographer Andrew Morton claimed.
He said that both Harry and Meghan were given the opportunity ‘to go wherever they pleased’.
In her joint BBC interview with Prince Harry following their engagement, she explained she was happy to end her acting career.
Following her engagement the Queen had told Meghan before joining the royal family that she could carry on acting if she wanted to, Princess Diana’s biographer Andrew Morton claimed. Pictured: Meghan Markle and the Queen in 2018
Following the announcement of engagement to Prince Harry, however, she announced she would be stepping down from acting to start her new life as a working royal in the UK. Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan attending the thanksgiving service for Queen Elizabeth’s reign in June 2022
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also were reportedly paid £88 million ($100 million) for their bombshell Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, where they reflected on their time within The Firm. Pictured: A photo shared in the series
Despite her success in the American legal TV drama Suits, in 2017, following the announcement of engagement to Prince Harry, Meghan announced she would be stepping down from acting to start her new life as a working royal in the UK. Pictured: Meghan and Harry in New York in 2021
She said: ‘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.
‘You realize that as you have access, or a voice that people are willing to listen to, [it comes with] a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously.
‘I don’t see it as giving anything up. 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].’
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