In 2023, “Suits” became one of the most popular shows on Netflix, smashing viewing records. Now, Abigail Spencer, one of the show’s cast, has said that the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, is one of the reasons for its renewed popularity.
Meghan herself also spoke about the show’s resurgence, calling “Suits” a “good show” that she enjoyed working on. Her former co-star and love interest, Patrick Adams, previously opened up about the possibility of a spin-off and the chances of Meghan returning to the “Suits” universe.
Abigail Spencer Praises Meghan Markle’s ‘Loveliness’ For ‘Suits’ New Popularity
During a Friday appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show,” Abigail Spencer spoke about the renewed popularity of the legal drama series “Suits” on Netflix and social media. She shared her opinions on why it became so popular four years after its final season.
Speaking candidly, the actress revealed that she believes Meghan Markle is one of the reasons for the resurgence of the series.
She said, “I think there’s several different things. And also Meghan’s loveliness, you know, that everyone is aware of her and her being on the show.”
“Suits” was one of the biggest projects in Meghan’s film catalog, as she played paralegal Rachel Zane for seven seasons, from the series premiere in 2011 until her departure in 2018.
At the time, The Duchess of Sussex quit acting altogether to marry Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and moved from Hollywood to Britain to be with him.
Abigail Spencer Says ‘Harry & Meghan’ Docuseries Also Boosted ‘Suits’ Popularity
During her interview, Spencer further credited Meghan’s other series on Netflix, “Harry & Meghan,” for boosting the popularity of “Suits.” The Royal docuseries chronicled Meghan’s experience with the royal family before and after she and her husband quit as senior Royals in 2020.
Spencer also noted that the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike contributed to “Suits” newfound fame on Netflix.
She said, “Also, during the strike, there wasn’t anything else. You know, Netflix repositioned it, so I think there is something to positioning on Netflix, and when other things aren’t being made, it commands your attention, but it has to be great for people to watch it.”
After being put on Netflix, “Suits” became extremely popular on social media platforms like X and TikTok. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it recorded 3.14 billion minutes of watch time for the week of June 26 to July 2, which broke records on the streaming platform. It snatched the top viewing spot from “Manifest,” which had only 2.49 billion minutes of viewing.
Meghan Markle Gushes About Her Time On ‘Suits’
Meghan has only had good things to say about “Suits” and her time working on the series. During a conversation with Variety at the Power of Women event in November 2023, she said the show was “great to work on.” The duchess also praised her co-workers and said, “Such a great cast and crew, we had a really fun time.”
The former actress said seeing the high streaming numbers was “wild” but showed how good of a series “Suits” was. She added, “It’s hard to find a show you can binge-watch that many episodes of these days, so that could have something to do with it. But good shows are everlasting.”
Despite her high praise of the series and cast, Meghan was conspicuously absent from the show’s red carpet and onstage reunion at the 2024 Golden Globes.
At the time, another cast member, Gina Torres, revealed that the cast all in a group chat, which Meghan isn’t a part of. She said, “We don’t have her number. We just don’t.”
Patrick Adams Hints At Meghan Returning To ‘Suits’
“Suits” star Patrick Adams, who played the love interest to Meghan’s character Rachel, also spoke about the possibility of a spin-off and Markle’s return.
While on the red carpet, he said, “Sure. Mike and Rachel in Seattle. They gotta come down to LA, they gotta fix some stuff.”
Adams also joked about how popular Meghan has become since being a part of the British royal family. He quipped, “She’s pretty popular right now. Did you hear about Meghan? I’ll tell you later.”
Amid the rumors of Meghan’s possible return to the legal drama, a PR expert, Matt Yanofsky, predicts that it “would guarantee headlines” both for her and the show. However, Yanofsky does feel there are a couple of questions to be addressed before it happens, especially with many other Hollywood women being potential options for the role.
“Does Meghan want to work this much and go to a set every week? Based on what happened with her podcast, she likely doesn’t want such a stressful, time-consuming job,” Yanofsky told The Mirror in an interview, adding that he is skeptical that the female lead role in the rumored spin-off was created for the Duchess of Sussex.