Natasha Livingstone and Caroline Graham
Updated on July 13, 2024 at 22:11 and July 14, 2024 at 00:37
Meghan Markle has made a six-figure sum by selling her TV drama “Suits” to broadcasters around the world, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The series ended in 2019 but recently underwent a remarkable revival on Netflix, now being sold in more than 240 territories across every continent, with rerun fees lining the cast's pockets.
NBCUniversal, the media giant which manages sales for the series, has remained tight-lipped about the exact amount of royalties the actors are earning under their deals, but it is estimated that the Duchess of Sussex may have earned nearly $200,000 (£155,000) from Netflix alone.
This is on top of the salary she was originally paid per episode for playing hot-headed paralegal Rachel Zane from 2011 to 2017, when she left the role to become engaged to Prince Harry.
But far from losing its relevance, the series broke records when it was released on Netflix and US platform Peacock last year, becoming the most streamed show of 2023 and topping the charts for 12 consecutive weeks.
This unexpected success led the BBC to use licence fee payer funds to outbid ITV and buy the UK rights to iPlayer.
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The company has not disclosed how much it spent on the deal or whether the duchess received any financial benefit.
Asked about the show's revival last year, the Duchess described its success as “amazing”, adding that she had “no idea” what was behind it.
An NBC source confirmed that “lead actors” like Meghan are paid royalties called “residuals” from worldwide sales, which typically earn them a percentage of their contract price.
Media website Deadline estimates that Netflix paid $37.5 million (£29.5 million) in licensing fees for Suits, with the six lead actors splitting 3.6% of that fee.
This means that Meghan earned approximately $200,000 from this contract alone for the 108 episodes she appeared in.
Most observers agree that the show's revival, which has now led to a spin-off series, has something to do with the public's interest in the Duchess.
“Meghan Markle's growing global fame has undoubtedly raised the profile of the show,” entertainment expert Mark Boardman told Newsweek magazine last year.
“Meghan's critics will be particularly interested in seeing her perform and also in getting a deeper understanding of her personality.”
The surprise paychecks would be a perk for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have a £7.3 million mortgage on their luxury home in Montecito, California. A spokesman for Meghan declined to comment.
