Comments from royal bride-to-be Meghan Markle shared in 2015 have resurfaced with all the attention the former Suits star is receiving in the wake of her engagement to Prince Harry. In an interview from two years ago, Ms Markle revealed that agents pressured her to lie about her age during auditions for fear she would be instantly rejected by casting directors and producers once she passed 30.
On her own experiences with ageism in Hollywood Ms Markle said: “I think that as women actors, the industry can assume they have a shelf life. I’m always told, ‘Don’t say your age’. I’m 33 and I’m really comfortable with that. I think if anyone has a problem then it’s their problem, not mine.
“I think in television, you are seeing a shift of women who are not in their 20s who play strong women.”
The now 36-years-old also told of how a director once demanded she buy him cheesecake at an audition. She said: “I had $20 in my bank account. There was this audition for this film and the director said, ‘You know I think you’re really something, but if you want to get the part you should bring me some cheesecake’. And I was like, ‘I’m sorry?’. So I spent my last money on this cheesecake and I didn’t get the part. But, there are these power-hungry people that take advantage when you are young and impressionable and want it so badly.”
Meghan also mentioned how frequently scripts called for her Suits character, Rachel Zane, to appear in her underwear and how she stood up to the creators of the US TV show, questioning: “Does the scene really need to open with Rachel in her skivvies? No. I don’t think that is necessary.”
This was clearly an ongoing battle as Ms Markle has spoken as recently as last year about her ongoing battle to eliminate nudity for the sake of nudity in her scenes on the TV programme.
