Before she lit up the tabloids as Prince Harry's girlfriend, Meghan Markle was turning heads
as an actress and model.
She's a self-made woman with beauty, grace, and charm.
But of course, no fairy tale is without its setbacks.
From struggling with her multiracial identity, to a very public divorce, to knocking down
the patriarchy, Markle's obstacles have only made her stronger.
Identity crisis
Born Rachel Meghan Markle on August 4, 1981, Markle comes from a showbiz background: her
dad, Thomas Markle, is a cinematographer.
And as a kid, Markle tagged along, to set, spurring her interest in showbiz.
But things weren’t as easy as they seemed, for the budding actress.
Markle’s dad is Caucasian, while her mother, Doria Ragland, is African-American.
Markle wrote in Elle about not knowing where she fit on the racial identity spectrum, thanks
to a classroom questionnaire — and not knowing which box to check.
"My teacher told me to check the box for Caucasian."
"I couldn't bring myself to do that, to picture the pit-in-her-belly sadness my mother would
feel if she were to find out.
So…
I left my identity blank — a question mark, an absolute incomplete — much like how I
felt."
Later, her father told her, "If that happens again, you draw your own box."
Defining herself
Markle has carved out a place for herself in an industry that wasn't always willing
to accept her.
She described her frustrations with entertainment industry labels in Elle, saying,
"I wasn't black enough for the black roles and I wasn't white enough for the white ones.
Leaving me somewhere in the middle as the ethnic chameleon."
Even after Markle achieved stardom, Hollywood still tried to minimize her features.
She told Allure,
"To this day, my pet peeve is when my skin tone is changed and my freckles are airbrushed
out of a photo shoot."
"For all my freckle-faced friends out there, I will share with you something my dad told
me when I was younger: 'A face without freckles is a night without stars.'"
Social conscience
In 2015, Markle recounted a story on her now-defunct website, The Tig, that was relayed to her
by her grandfather.
When Markle’s mother was young, the family went to Kentucky Fried Chicken and because
of their color, were forced to eat in the parking lot, instead of inside.
Markle wrote,
"That story still haunts me.
It reminds me of how young our country is.
How far we've come and how far we still have to come."
"It makes me wonder what my parents experienced as a mixed-race couple."
Today, Markle says those stories instilled in her
"...a social consciousness to do what I could, and to, at the very least, speak up when I
knew something was wrong."
Making ends meet
As Markle first struggled to distinguish herself in Hollywood, one of her early television
appearances was in 2006, as a "briefcase girl" on the gameshow Deal or No Deal.
Just 25 years old at the time, Markle said the experience helped her understand what
she really wanted to do.
No one ever chose her suitcase, forcing her to stay on her feet for the entire game.
She said, "I would end up standing up there forever in these terribly uncomfortable and
inexpensive five-inch heels just waiting for someone to pick my number so I could go and
sit down.”
It wouldn’t be long before she’d slip into some nicer kicks.
Dream girl
Landing the role of Rachel Zane on the legal drama Suits transformed Markle into a star.
In 2011, the 29-year-old began filming the series, saying that right away, the show stole
her heart.
The character of Rachel is not only beautiful, but also whip-smart, what Markle referred
to as "the dream girl".
Her role didn't just launch her career, but broke ground by landing a multiracial woman
on TV.
She said,
"Some households may never have had a black person in their house as a guest, or someone
biracial.
Well, now there are a lot of us on your TV and in your home with you.
And with Suits, specifically, you have Rachel Zane.
I couldn't be prouder of that."
We’re team Rachel all the way.
Girl gang
Markle may have followed her father's showbiz footsteps, but she also got an education,
like her mom, who earned a Master's in social work from USC.
Markle herself graduated from Northwestern in 2003 where she double majored in theater
and international studies.
Using her degrees, Markle not only acts, she has also worked for the U.S. Embassy in Buenos
Aires, and as a UN Women's advocate.
And Markle's already making waves.
In 2016, at the age of 35, she took part in the One Young World summit, joining other
young adults who are working to transform the socio-political landscape.
Markle believes that her fame is a wonderful opportunity, telling Elle,
"...it also includes responsibility — to advocate and share, to focus less on glass
slippers, and more on pushing through glass ceilings.
And, if I'm lucky enough, to inspire."
Feminist
Markle’s been advocating for women since way back.
At the age of 11, she recalls seeing a commercial played on the TV in her classroom, claiming,
"Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.”
According to her, the boys in her class exclaimed, “Yeah, that's where women belong.
In the kitchen.”
Markle went home and wrote letters to civil rights lawyer Gloria Allred and then-First
Lady Hillary Clinton.
Moved by the young girl's outrage, the women pledged their support and within a few months,
the commercial was edited.
Now, people all over America were 'fighting greasy pots and pans.'
Today, Markle eschews feminist stereotypes.
In a 2016 keynote at the Create & Cultivate conference, Markle was asked by an audience
member how she balances being feminine with being a feminist.
Markle said:
"They are not mutually exclusive.
You can be a woman who wants to look beautiful and present well and it doesn't lessen the
fact that you're standing up for something that's incredibly important.
You don't have to play dress up to be a feminist.
You are a feminist exactly as you are."
Privacy
Markle dated producer Trevor Engelson for several years before the celebrity power couple
became engaged.
The pair were married for just two years before divorcing in 2013, making the split public,
shortly after Markle's 32nd birthday.
While the split seemed amicable at the time, Markle's divorcee status was scrutinized by
the public when she became involved with Prince Harry in 2016.
The actress distanced herself from the gossip, even shutting down her lifestyle site The
Tig, as she was thrust into the spotlight.
Her parting message: "Above all, don't ever forget your worth — as I've told you time
and time again: you, my sweet friend, you are enough.”
Working girl
Markle has truly transformed herself into an icon, far from the typical celebrity.
She may be an A-list actress, but Markle wants to change the world, saying her true passion
is
"...to use whatever status I have as an actress to make a tangible impact."
"I've always wanted to be a woman who works.
And this type of work is what feeds my soul."
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