Meghan Markle Was In These Hallmark Movies Before Becoming A Royal

Meghan Markle may have carved out a niche for herself as resident paralegal-turned-attorney Rachel Zane on "Suits," but it was her high-profile marriage to Prince Harry that made her a household name. Since her acting days, the star has stepped down from royal duties, moved stateside, and welcomed children Archie and Lilibet. To some, Meghan's life may appear to be a fairy tale come true, which is why it's interesting that she once acted out fairy tales on the small screen. Per IMDb, the former actor appeared in two Hallmark movies — the channel known for its feel-good romances and happily-ever-afters.

Back in 2014, Meghan spoke to TV Goodness about why she enjoyed making these kinds of movies. Calling herself "a sucker for romantic comedy," the actor revealed that one of her scripts for Hallmark was "exactly the kind of project [she] wanted to be part of. It was light and easy and it was a departure from Rachel [on 'Suits'] who is so refined and polished." In a separate interview promoting the channel, Meghan called the network "amazing." She added, "It's just heartwarming, and affirming, and validating. And I think especially in this day and age, it's so nice for families to be able to watch programming together. With stories like this, it keeps it very light and easy and makes everybody feel good." Clearly, Meghan's a Hallmark fan, but her fans might not be as familiar with her work for the network as they are with "Suits."

According to Hallmark's description of "Dater's Handbook," Meghan Markle assumes the role of Cassandra Barber, who follows dating handbook advice to help her decide between the two different men she's seeing. While the book advocates for more a predictable and "safe" man — in this case, insurance adjuster George — Cassandra is more drawn to the adventurous Robert. Viewers can likely guess how the film ends, but it's interesting to speculate that life might have imitated art for Meghan in this particular instance. Perhaps she took the movie's core message to heart, and like Cassandra, realized that she needed to be with someone who knew how to have fun and roll with life's punches (aka Prince Harry). After all, per the movie's 2016 premiere date, Meghan began dating Prince Harry just a few months after "Dater's Handbook" hit TV screens.

Regardless of how well things worked out in real life for Meghan, the actor believed the message behind the movie resonates with all women, as she explained in a promotional interview with Hallmark. "You have to follow your heart to find your true love," Meghan shared. "I'm just drawn to how relatable the script is. When I first read it, I thought, 'You know, there's so many women who are going to connect to the story of trying to find the balance in work and also in relationships and just trying to find love."

Per IMDb, Meghan Markle also appeared in a Fourth of July-themed Hallmark movie called "When Sparks Fly." As Hallmark summarizes, Meghan plays Amy Peterson, a journalist who is sent back to her hometown on an assignment to cover the Fourth of July celebration. Once there, she is enlisted as her best friend Sammie's wedding planner. Sammie is preparing to marry Amy's ex-boyfriend,  Hank — and as Amy struggles to balance her personal life with her editor's demands, she wonders if it's possible to reconnect romantically with her former beau. 

As with "Dater's Handbook," "When Sparks Fly" advocates for following one's heart, but there's a secondary message of female independence, too. It's one that Meghan holds close to her heart, as the actor wrote on her now-defunct blog, The Tig (via CheatSheet), of the importance of freedom. "Raise a glass to yourself today — to the right to freedom, to the empowerment of the women (and men) who struggle to have it, and to knowing, embracing, honoring, educating, and loving yourself," she penned.

But the message of a working woman searching for true love wasn't all that resonated with Meghan. As she told TV Goodness in 2014, the character of Amy was similar to her "true personality" and a nice departure from Rachel on "Suits." "It was fun to eat ribs and get barbecue sauce all over my face and run around in jeans all day," Meghan added.