Meghan Markle has barely had a moment out of the press in the last few years, ever since her whirlwind romance with Prince Harry became official. There’s simply no denying the incredible influence that Markle has had on the public, as she’s set trends and helped bring a fresh perspective to the royal family. But in contrast, she’s also endured an overwhelming amount of pressure from the media.
After she and Prince Harry married in 2018, the couple were given the official titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Following their wedding, they began to work as royals, but not long after their son Archie’s birth in 2019, the couple renounced their official roles and left the royal family in order to escape the media frenzy that had surrounded them in the United Kingdom. Now living a quiet life in Santa Barbara, California, and expecting their second child together this summer, Prince Harry and Markle have forged their own path in the royal family.
Markle is still often in the press, but as one incident from 2020 shows, sometimes she appears to be in the press even when it’s not actually her! This occurred when a Missouri-based influencer named Akeisha Varnado Land, who is 40-years-old, posted a selfie to her family Instagram account, leading people on the internet to become convinced that she is the long-lost twin of Markle, due to their look-alike features. The photo of her ended up going viral and Akeisha has taken the incident in her stride. Despite not seeing the similarities between her and the duchess, she’s flattered at the comparisons. What’s more, Akeisha’s family has even taken to calling her “the duchess!” Let’s take a look at their stories.
Meghan (2018), (Chris Jackson-Pool/Getty Images)
Entering into the royal family after marrying Prince Harry might be what Meghan Markle is mostly known for these days, but she was already successful in her career prior to becoming the Duchess of Sussex. While fans might know her from scripted television, particularly the show “Suits,” one of her early roles in show business was on the game show “Deal or No Deal,” hosted by Howie Mandel. Appearing as a briefcase model on one season in 2006, Markle has since spoken of that time as one she’d rather forget.
She then moved towards dramatic acting, so it’s no surprise to learn that Markle got her start by appearing in minor roles on scripted television series. This is a common way for actors to get their foot in Hollywood’s door, with extra work sometimes leading to smaller roles with lines and eventually main roles in film and television.
Besides an uncredited early role in 1995, Markle’s first appearance was as Jill in a 2002 episode of “General Hospital.” Most of her early filmography includes minor roles in television series before she eventually made it on to some bigger shows including “CSI: NY,” “90210,” “Fringe,” “CSI: Miami,” and “Castle.” It’s likely you saw her in an episode of your favorite show years before she became a familiar face on “Suits.” As well as working on television shows, Markle has also acted in movies.
But the role that really put her on the map is that of paralegal Rachel Zane — which incidentally, is Markle’s real first name — who she played for seven seasons of the show’s nine-season run. It was while she was on the show that she met and began dating Prince Harry and even got engaged.
