Wendell Pierce is a prolific character actor, known for his vast number of roles on the stage and screen. Some may know him for playing Bunk on The Wire, his role in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, or even his recent arrival on CBS for Elsbeth. However, after Suits became a hit streaming show since landing on Netflix, Pierce has been notably synonymous with his performance as Robert Zane in the former USA show. His character ran a competing law firm to the one the series centered around, and is also the father to Meghan Markle’s Rachel Zane. The actor has been asked quite a bit about the former royal, and I wonder if he’s tired of answering questions about her.
Pierce was recently a guest on the Max talk show, Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? He spoke to the titular host about his decades-spanning Hollywood career, as well as his timely 2016 HBO Movie Confirmation, which is currently streaming with a Max subscription. Wallace also asked the actor about the rise in popularity for the show Suits, and his experience working with Markle. Public fascination with the Duchess of Sussex has led to this being a frequent line of questioning for Pierce. Nevertheless, he answered gracefully, gushing about his former co-star, saying:
"She’s wonderful. She's wonderful as both. She's the nicest person ever. And I actually, the one thing that bothers me the most right now for Meghan is the fact that I know she would love to act again."
For context, Markle had to give up acting on Suits after marrying Prince Harry in 2018. The intent was to dedicate the rest of her life to royal duties in the U.K.. However in 2020, Markle and her husband separated themselves from the royal family and their obligations to live quieter lives in Los Angeles. Whether or not she plans to return to acting is unknown; according to Pierce, the interest is still there. The character actor also shared a story about his final day with Markle on Suits, and advice he gave her before marrying Prince Harry. He said:
"It was the last night of working and I said, Megan, your life is going to change - and you're going to be in a bubble, but just always remember, no matter what, I'm your friend, you have lots of friends. We're always thinking about you, we’ll always be there for you. And you know, no matter where you are, always know you have a friend in me."
This is such a sweet sentiment, and Pierce will seemingly always take the opportunity to say positive things about her. He clearly cares about his former scene partner and her well-being, and will always be a touchstone for Markle if she needs a friend. He also said that he supported her and her husband’s decision to separate themselves from the royal family for the sake of their family’s privacy. He continued:
"The controversy and the life living in the public eye always takes on a life of its own. And it's almost one of those things that sometimes you can't control. And then the suggestion I make to her in public interviews like this is always rely on your love. You love this man. You love your two children. Do what's best for all of you. And let that be your guiding light and your North Star."
With such a vast and varied career as Wendell Pierce, there are endless topics to ask him about, and we wouldn’t blame him for wanting conversations to focus on his accomplishments rather than Meghan Markle and her high-profile relationship. However, Pierce has handled every question elegantly, always sending positive messages of support out to Markle. This respect is endearing and speaks to why so many people must love working with Pierce, considering his many collaborations. He still seems to see himself as a mentor to Markle, and hopefully these two will get to perform together again if Markle ever does return to acting.
You can see Wendell Pierce and Meghan Markle playing father and daughter on Suits, which is currently available with a Netflix subscription. The lawyer procedural has broken records for the streamer, so make sure to check it out if you still haven’t. For more information on what other buzzy shows are available on the platform, make sure to check out our feature on the best shows streaming on Netflix right now.
