Meghan Markle and Prince Harry‘s relationship was not without its controversy when it became public knowledge in 2017, with claims that she had ditched her film producer husband for a royal being the highlight. Somehow, her Suits director also thought the same as he shared his surprise upon learning she’s gotten married to someone else.
“It was odd because she was engaged to somebody else (when I met her),” Tim Matheson, who directed an episode of the legal drama series in 2011, shared in an interview with Fox News Digital. He admitted that along with the rest of the world, he was surprised when Buckingham Palace announced her engagement to Harry in 2017.
The palace shared a series of photos to announce their engagement, and the couple would later reminisce about that poignant moment in their lives in episode 2 of the Harry & Meghan Netflix series. The former actress shared that no part of it was spontaneous, and said it was “rehearsed,” including their sit-down interview. She said: “We did the thing out with the press, then we went right inside, took the coat off and did the interview.”
But before meeting Harry, Meghan was married film producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2014. This was what Matheson remembered when he met her on the Suits set and this has apparently stuck with him, hence his surprise. But it was only two years later in July 2016 that Harry and Meghan would meet in a blind date.
“My first thought, being an actor, was, ‘She’s going to quit acting.’ It was a bold move on her part, especially marrying into the royal family. I just thought, ‘That’s a miniseries.’ I mean, come on!” he shared.
And quit she did. Meghan filmed her final episode in the season 7 finale, which aired less than a month before she walked down the aisle escorted by then Prince Charles on May 19, 2018. On working with the Duchess of Sussex, Matheson said she was very easy to work with and remembered her “being a very good actor.”
“I never had to worry about a scene she was going to be in. I knew that she’d bring a performance that was just right. If I had to tweak anything, she’d jump right in and do it. I really enjoyed working with her, and it was a fun show to do,” he said. Seemingly enchanted, Matheson also remembered Meghan was very lovely and “quite beautiful.”
As a director, you come in and have this cast of characters. There were six or seven of them. I remember we all went out to an early dinner once, so I got to know them a little bit off of the set. She was just lovely. The entire cast was wonderful, but especially her, there was just something about her. There was a sparkle, a little sparkle in her eye.
The director also weighed in on Meghan and Harry’s honesty when talking about their former life as working royals in interviews and in the Netflix series. He said he finds it “refreshing that she’s as candid and honest about her experience – both of them are.”
“I think we’re all curious about their transition to a more normal life outside the royal family. I don’t know what to believe about how accepted she was by the royal family. I’m sure there’s a whole other side of things that I have no knowledge of,” he added.
Matheson thinks that Harry and Meghan “did a pretty good job. They didn’t go off the rails. They didn’t tell backstage stories” when speaking about their past. He called it an “almost no-win situation” and praised the couple for having “handled things extremely well.”
Published: Nov 26, 2024 12:26 pm