Before she married Prince Harry and became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was just another semi-well-known actor trying to make a living in a brutally competitive industry.
These days, of course, Meghan is one of the most famous people on the planet — but that doesn’t mean she’s entirely satisfied with the direction her career has taken.
From a PR perspective, this past year has been a tough one the Sussexes.
In fact, a recent Newsweek poll indicated that Meghan is less popular than ever among Americans.
And the decline has begun to hit the duke and duchess in the pocketbook, beginning with the cancelation of Meghan’s Spotify podcast after just one season.
There are many theories as to why Harry and Meghan are on the decline in terms of marketability.
Some say it’s a simple case of royalty fatigue, while others believe the couple is in the midst of a public image crisis that began with the mixed reaction to Harry’s memoir.
Whatever the case, the Sussexes need to do some serious rebranding — and they need to do it ASAP.
Insiders say the process is already underway, and it began in earnest when Meghan signed with the WME talent agency back in April.
At the time, that move sparked rumors that Meghan planned to return to acting, but insiders dismissed those reports, insisting that the agency would merely assist the duchess with garnering publicity for her humanitarian efforts.
Now, however, there are indications that Meghan might wish to step back in front of the camera, after all.
The rumors began back in July with a very specific report:
Sources close to Kevin Costner claimed that the Oscar winner was interested in Meghan as the lead role in a sequel to The Bodyguard, the 1992 blockbuster in which he co-starred with Whitney Houston.
Costner once revealed in an interview that a script had been written for the project back in the ’90s, and at the time, he had Princess Diana in mind for the lead role.
He never revealed, however, if there was any life left in the project or any interest in Meghan for the lead role.
These days, Costner is in preproduction on a film that he hopes will be the crowning achievement of his career.
The Yellowstone star walked away from his hit TV series to focus on Horizon: An American Saga, and insiders say Meghan very much wants to be a part of the Western epic.
“Meghan is using the unbelievable new success of her long-canceled series Suits, which is undergoing a revival on streaming, to convince Kevin she’s the key to his future success — and he’s listening,” a source close to the situation tells Radar Online.
The insider claimed that Meghan is “pulling out all the stops” to convince Costner that she’s the right for the lead female role, as she believes “it will cement her Hollywood comeback in spectacular fashion,”
“It’s the kind of part that could cement her status as a serious actress,” said the source.
“Meghan desperately wants a role in Horizon — because it’s scheduled to shoot another two parts after this production wraps.”
Yes, Costner is planning a multi-part film saga that he hopes will cement his place as one of the great American filmmakers.
But will Meghan be a part of it?
Frankly, we still think it’s unlikely that the Duchess of Sussex will go back to acting anytime soon.
But if she ever does return to Hollywood, you can bet it will be for a project of this scale.
