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Despite missing her Suits co-star Patrick. J Adam’s wedding to Troian Bellisario because the media attention on her might take the attention away from Adam’s big day, Meghan Markle has opened up to Elle UK. In the powerful piece written by the girlfriend of Prince Harry, the 35-year-old talks about the racism she endured during her rise to fame as Rachel Zane in the American television smash-hit, Suits.
“I remember the tweets when that first episode of the Zane family aired, then ran the gamut from: ‘Why would they make her dad black? She’s not black’ to ‘Ew, she’s black? I used to think she was hot,’ she said. “The reaction was unexpected, but speaks of the undercurrent of racism that is so prevalent, especially within America.”
Markle also received the daily questions about her nationality. “Well,’ I say, as I begin the verbal dance I know all too well. ‘I’m an actor, a writer, the Editor-in-Chief of my lifestyle brand The Tig, a pretty good cook and a firm believer in handwritten notes.’ A mouthful, yes, but one that I feel paints a pretty solid picture of who I am,” she said. “But here’s what happens: they smile and nod politely, maybe even chuckle, before getting to their point, ‘Right, but what are you? Where are your parents from?’ I knew it was coming, I always do … I give them what they’re after: ‘My dad is caucasian and my mom is African-American. I’m half black and half white.’”
Being biracial meant Markle didn’t “tick a box”, the actress says her identity grew “murky”. “And who wants to be this indifferent colour, devoid of depth and stuck in the middle? I certainly didn’t’.” It’s a very interesting read in which Markle describes how she pushed for “colour-blind casting” and in doing so, “drew her own box”. Take a read here.
