‘Going back to acting was never Meghan’s plan’… Has Duchess of Sussex resumed her on-screen career because she and Harry fear running out of money? asks ALISON BOSHOFF

Smiling, waving graciously and elegant in her blue-striped shirt, white jeans and dark glasses, the Duchess of Sussex made a surprise return to acting with all the self-conscious polish you’d expect.

She was photographed on the set of the movie Close Personal Friends, which was shot in Pasadena, California, and she radiates confidence. A well-placed insider told favorite People magazine: ‘He looked very relaxed and happy. ‘He was such a sweet and down to earth person.’

Starring Lily Collins, Brie Larson, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding, the film is a mid-budget romantic comedy suitable for the streaming age. The story of two couples, one famous and the other not famous, who become friends on holiday.

In many ways, this latest venture marks a return to Meghan’s roots. The 44-year-old spent his working life as an actor, eventually landing a role in long-running legal drama Suits before giving up his career to join the Royal Family.

But the new role won’t be a complete extension of his acting skills; because he will play a small role in the movie.

‘Nobody knows which version of his personality he is,’ one of his fans in Hollywood said to me yesterday. Another observed: ‘He’s playing himself! Even as an actor he’s a narcissist!’

Regardless of the truth of this statement, Meghan’s role in the film is quite confusing.

Because one can imagine that if someone returns to acting after a break, the relaunch role will be chosen very carefully, knowing that such a move will attract public attention. But this film will never be a theatrical blockbuster, nor will it be an award-winning creative work.

And this movie was produced not by Meghan’s friends at Netflix or her own production company, but by Amazon MGM studios.

Meghan’s office declined to comment on why this clearly List C movie was chosen.

A source at the film studio told The Sun that this latest career milestone for Meghan (following charity, reality TV, jam-making, fashion, podcasting and being a “female founder”) represents a return to her true love: acting.

‘This is a huge moment for Meghan and means getting back to doing what she truly loves. He was inundated with offers, but he felt it was the right one,” the source said. They added: ‘Prince Harry is of course really supportive and quite simply wants Meghan to do anything that brings him joy.’

But elsewhere in California, many of his friends and former friends are stunned and appear to oppose almost everything in the authoritative briefing.

Because it may turn out that in all the hundreds of hours of meetings over the years about Meghan’s (and Prince Harry’s) planned direction, a return to her ‘true love’: acting was definitely never on the table.

Many sources tell me this, and one even says flatly that this indicates the couple is struggling financially: ‘This was never in her plan. This confirms it. They are poor.’

The same source points out how this new role is a dramatic strategic turn for Meghan, who has repeatedly said she will not return to acting.

In an interview with Variety magazine in 2022, he insisted he would never act again: ‘I’m done. I guess never say never, but I definitely intend not to.’

And in her engagement interview with Harry in 2017, she showed little regret about quitting acting. ‘Don’t forget I’m working on it [Suits] for seven years. ‘I thought I had ticked that box when we hit the 100-episode mark.’

No wonder, then, that my source said, ‘both the project and the return are so embarrassing.’

So why did he agree to return to the screen?

It’s true that many have suggested that one explanation for this move is that the Sussexes are facing a financial crisis. The cost of maintaining their lifestyle with a large house and private security is said to be at least $4 million a year.

However, another source states that Prince Harry has made a personal donation of £1.1 million to BBC Children in Need to support projects tackling youth violence in Nottingham. The couple is also said to have donated a significant amount to relief efforts following Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.

A source said Meghan’s new role appears to be a strategic change of direction, as the Duchess has repeatedly said she would never return to acting

If they were really in a difficult situation this would definitely not happen. On the contrary, a source with deep ties to the couple told me that Meghan’s return to acting was inevitable because her other professional dreams – from jam-making to podcasting – had been disrupted, seriously undermining the coherence of her ‘brand’ identity in the process.

They say Meghan’s hyperactivity in trying so many different ventures cannot be seen as a good thing. In short, when nothing really succeeds, the desperate person will try anything.

I was told: ‘This must be so embarrassing for Harry. They’ve run out of options. Look how miserable Harry looked watching that baseball game [the Dodgers playing last week].’

Of course, with Ari Emanuel, the super-agent in charge of Meghan’s new career, and Serena Williams’ powerful agent and friend Jill Smoller on her team, the expectation was that their Archewell production company would launch a slew of filmed projects, as well as sign a number of business deals to secure the Duchess’ financial future.

But offers under the £100 million Netflix deal have been disappointing after the success of the tell-all Harry & Meghan documentary in 2022. Harry’s shows – The Heart of Invictus and Polo – were flops; Meghan wasn’t enough to save the sinking ship with her lifestyle series With Love.

Meghan’s foray into business with the As Ever brand came surprisingly late, was chaotic and unsuccessful. Items sold out immediately and were restocked very slowly. Its original name, American Riviera Orchard, had to be scrapped due to trademark issues after months of development. Plans to sell products in stores have not yet come to fruition.

Like TV producers, the Sussexes are disappointed: last September The Hollywood Reporter quoted a source discussing their ventures in this area as saying: ‘Everyone is afraid of Meghan. He belittles people and does not take advice. They are both poor at making decisions, they often change their minds. Harry is a very, very attractive person – not at all cool – but very enabling. And he really sucks.’

And we shouldn’t forget that Meghan’s return to acting is a confusingly close follow-up to her recent foray into fashion just a month ago, when she attended the Balenciaga show at Paris Fashion Week and agreed to be Harper’s Bazaar cover girl. She claimed that people ‘associated’ me with beauty and fashion, which was quite a surprising claim.

After all this, she also took part in Fortune magazine’s ‘Most Powerful Women’ event and wanted to be taken seriously as a ‘woman’. [brand] founder’.

What a shame, then, for those who tried to guide him behind the scenes.

Meghan Markle is returning to her acting roots by filming a scene for the upcoming movie Close Personal Friends in Pasadena, California.

A source close to the couple’s operation told me after Meghan attended Paris Fashion Week: ‘She has nothing to initiate, nothing to announce, nothing to say.

‘This is a mess. The Sussexes seem to be spiraling. They throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.

‘It seems clear that he is in need of care, attention and money.

‘In my opinion, deep down in his heart he always wanted to return to acting, even though he never expressed it. That’s why he brought her back here. [to California] and not anywhere else. They could have gone anywhere, but they came to California.

‘The problem with the move is that it’s not Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth has transitioned from an Oscar-winning actress to an entrepreneur. He returned to take on a major acting role opposite Timothee Chalamet in the Oscar-nominated film Marty Supreme.

‘But Meghan failed at being an entrepreneur and failed at reality TV because Harry won’t do more, so that’s all he’s left with; a role to work on as himself.’

I’m back here in California and celebrating a wonderful week of surviving on Planet Markle. Because not only has the Duchess of Sussex announced her long-awaited return to screens, she’s also launched a sparkling wine just in time for the holiday season.

Do we need another excuse to pop the cork on the bottle of As Ever 2021 Vintage Napa Valley Brut, boldly priced at £68?

Mmmm, yummy! This is absolutely delicious. Cheeky, sticky, flinty and surprising on the nose, with top notes of bitterness and just a hint of tartness. It’s not excitement, it’s Meghan’s reemergence as an opportunistic actress in what must be Hollywood’s biggest comeback since John Travolta. This is worth a toast to something special for me and lucky me, as always, I found these goods.

Described on the website as a ‘selected blend of the finest varieties’, the new addition to the range ‘delights the palate with soft notes of green apple and pear, accents of citrus and white peach and a touch of star fruit for a balanced brightness and a vibrant, elegant finish’.

The new role won’t exactly be an extension of his acting skills; because she will be playing herself in a small role in the movie (Pictured, Meghan Markle and Patrick J Adams in Suits)

There is more. It is a ‘fresh, complex, sparkling wine crafted using the traditional Méthode Champenoise from Napa Valley pinot noir and chardonnay grapes… Our 2021 Vintage Brut is a special wine from a suitable year.’

And if you’re a complete idiot who needs guidance on when to drink such a magnificent potion, the Duchess and her team have that covered, too. ‘Ideal for celebrating an engagement, achievement or reunion, this one-of-a-kind cuvee comes dressed to the nines on a matte black lapel tag adorned with the gold As Ever logo and gilt detailing.’

Star fruit! One of a kind! prepared! Dressed to the nines! An exclusive black label! To do justice to such a magnificent bottle, I arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, just northwest of Los Angeles, deep in Kardashian country, near the famous family’s homes in Hidden Hills and Calabasas.

This gorgeous hotel has a huge pool surrounded by palm trees, a greenhouse that grows eight different types of thyme, and a spa offering $500 lavender milk and honey massages. From the food options, which include ‘balanced menu items for those embracing the quest for optimum health’, she couldn’t be more Meghan if she tried.