Meghan Markle looks set to return to the role that made her famous – despite her agency claiming she will not go back to acting.
And now an expert has revealed the staggering salary she could receive if she went back to appearing as Rachel Zane in a reboot of the legal drama Suits.
Though the programme officially ended in 2019, it has experienced a huge resurgence on Netflix, flying to number one and racking up billions of views in just a few days.
READ MORE: Real Housewives star Sonja Morgan ‘flashes everyone’ at brunch in sexy swimwear
It makes sense that, given its immense popularity at the moment, Meghan could see a future in the series.
But according to Dr Heidi Ashton – the associate Professor in Cultural and Creative Ecologies at University of Warwick – many fans may just be tuning in to see Meghan strip off.
(Image: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star, the professor explained: “If she did decide to return, we have to remember that she is no longer known as an actor but as a reality tv celebrity which places her in a different position.
“As a somewhat divisive and controversial figure production companies and their investors will ask themselves a number of questions.”
One of those questions is: “Are the recent high viewing figures a result of amateur sleuthing and voyeurism?”
Dr Ashton revealed: “Investors will need to decide whether they think high viewing figures are due to Meghan’s presence and her relatively new-found celebrity as Harry’s wife or whether people (perhaps after reading Spare) are looking for a former royal engaged in sexual activities and in a state of undress.”
(Image: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Viewers might also be looking “to see whether her acting on screen matches her behaviours in interviews such as the Oprah interview.”
“Was she being authentic or was she just acting? If this is their motivation for watching, they may not be interested in seeing her acting on screen now.
“By not revealing their day-to-day life actors are better able to suspend reality in their acting, Meghan has crossed that line,” she claimed.
But the professor added: “If voyeurism is deemed to be one of the ‘pulls’ with the current series, it is unlikely that Meghan would be willing to bare so much flesh in future productions and this could also be part of the negotiations.”
Discussing the potential payment Meghan could receive, Dr Heidi explained: “It has been reported that ‘A’ list actors are paid up to $1million per episode, whereas jobbing actors in a leading or prominent role (such as that played by Meghan in Suits) are paid around $45,000 per episode.
“The official SAG-AFTRA rates vary according to how many episodes an actor performs in, but the range is $3,756 and $5,000 per week with different amounts for one off appearances.”
A fee would then be taken by an agent and taxed, meaning Meghan does stand to make a considerable sum from her potential return.
And as to whether her position as a member of the Royal Family would affect her earnings, Dr Heidi says it’s unlikely.
(Image: mirror.co.uk)
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
“As Meghan is no longer a working Royal this will be an entirely private financial transaction and she will pay taxes in whichever jurisdiction her accountant deems most appropriate.
“She is linked to the Royal family by marriage but has withdrawn any services to the Crown so is not part of the official ‘Royal Family (inc)’.
“Their finances are independent and any earnings from their media endeavours, litigation, trust funds, book sales and other sources are a matter for their accountants and themselves.”
Follow Daily Star on Threads here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
