It's been a whirlwind journey for Duchess Meghan since she wrapped up her acting career and married Prince Harry.
She and her husband, after being thrust into the British spotlight, stepped back from the royal family in 2020 to pursue a life in California with their two children and focus on their Archewell foundation.
Then last month, Prince Harry's grandmother and Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died at 96, bringing the couple back to London to mourn and pay their respects.
In a new interview with Variety, Meghan opened up about the queen's death, her acting career and what it would be like for someone to portray her on screen.
The Duchess of Sussex said she was "grateful" to be able to support her husband while he mourned his grandmother's death, and for her, she said the moment gave her "a lot of perspective".
"In terms of female leadership, (Queen Elizabeth) is the most shining example of what that looks like. I feel deep gratitude to have been able to spend time with her and get to know her," she said.
She added that the perspective stemming from the queen's death has helped her think about where she puts her energy, adding that one of the largest outputs for her is the foundation.
But acting is likely not in her future, she added.
"I'm done," the duchess said when asked if she'd act again. "I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not."
The Archetypes podcast host said much of her career came with uncertainty and before the #MeToo era, women in the industry had a hard time defining their voice.
"If there was any discomfort, you just dealt with it. It forced a lot of women to live with this idea of staying silent," she said.
"I had tried for so long to land on a show, filming all these pilots, wondering if they would get picked up. All of Season 1 on Suits, I was convinced I was going to get recast. All the time."
Despite not wanting to step her toe back into the acting world, Meghan said it's "weird" to think that another actress may play her in the future. But if she compartmentalises, the thought comes with ease.
"Anyone talking about me or casting an actor to play me, that will be a caricature of me that has been created for a business that makes people a lot of money," she said. "Once you can separate that out, it's much easier to go: 'OK. That actually has nothing to do with me.' "
While she's done auditioning and practising lines, she said she wouldn't discourage her kids, Archie, three and Lilibet, one, from following in her footsteps and pursuing acting.
"When you become a parent, you genuinely want your kids to find the things that bring them complete joy.... But I want them to be able to carve out their own path. If it's the entertainment industry, great. And also, good luck," she said.
"There are so many people that will talk about what opened the door for my children. But it still takes talent and a lot of grit." – USA Today/Tribune News Service
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