Famous Actor Has Something To Say About Meghan Markle

Jodie Turner-Smith stars as Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, in the AMC+ three-part miniseries that premiered on December 9. Variety reported the mini-series examines the period of time between Boleyn's final miscarriage and her beheading, ordered by her husband. The British-Indian actor immediately faced public criticism when it was revealed she would play a white character, per The Independent. Producers reportedly used an "identity-conscious casting" model, which would choose actors for roles based on their energy rather than skin color. 

When she found out she would be playing the lead role, Turner-Smith told The Independent, "... people were always going to feel a certain way about a Black actor playing Anne." She knew it would be a "challenging" concept for the public to accept but ultimately felt that the statement she made carried a larger and necessary message in that "people of color have been erased from stories and thus their humanity has been erased." 

Despite the controversy, Turner-Smith was widely celebrated for her portrayal of Boleyn. And in a new interview, Turner-Smith discussed how she resonated with the story of being misunderstood, a sentiment she feels applies to Meghan Markle.

Jodie Turner-Smith gave her opinion on the controversy surrounding Meghan Markle's entry into and departure from the British royal family. Talking to the Daily Beast on December 8, Turner-Smith noted similarities between how Anne Boleyn and Markle were treated by the royal family. She explained the concept of "a woman who appeared to be disruptive to the monarchy" is an "appealing" story and one that is also "universal." The actor added, "I think we find it with womankind across the world, a woman who is powerful ... and is disrupting in any way, is considered a threat." Turner-Smith said such treatment is "a symptom of patriarchy."

Those who follow the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have likely heard of the Oprah interview they gave back in March where Markle described feeling discriminated against for the color of her skin, per CNN. She told the talk show host how an unnamed member of the royal family supposedly had "concerns" about "how dark" her son Archie's skin would be when he was born. Prince Harry also noted how the British press talked about his wife with "colonial undertones" and that support from his family around these issues was absent. 

Well, it's clear Meghan has plenty of friends in America — including Turner-Smith!