Research portfolio on Meghan Markle by 201767613

Meghan Markle - the actress

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 21:59:15 UTC

Meghan Markle's initial image was primarily associated with her acting career. She made her name as an actress, campaigner and blogger. However, she started on her path to stardom with her first television appearance in the US in an episode of the medical drama General Hospital in 2002. She was an aspiring actress who worked hard and was focused on her goals which says a lot about her celebrity persona.

Early life

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 22:09:57 UTC

At an early age, Meghan started campaigning for gender equality. At 11, she wrote a letter to the then US First Lady, lamenting a washing-up liquid's TV ad streamline: "Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans". The word "women" changed to "people" within a month. This is when Meghan, the feminist was born. This is one of the key elements of her celebrity image that sticks with her during all the different phases in her life.

Briefcase Model?

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 22:28:46 UTC

In 2006, Meghan briefly took the role of one of the "Briefcase Models" in season two of the contest Deal or No Deal on NBC. Later, in her own podcast, she mentioned that she hated being on the show. This very much shows that she was still young back then, looking for ways to earn money. It shows that she is just like most of us, a person that needs to pay her bills. This makes her relatable and says much about her persona back then.

Suits

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 22:33:27 UTC

In 2011, Meghan was cast in the USA legal drama television series Suits. This is her biggest and best-known role. She played Rachel Zane, who was a talented paralegal and eventually falls in love with the series lead Mike Ross. Many would say this would have been the beginning of a successful acting career. Rachel Zane was a hard working and focused character which overlaps with the person Meghan was in real life back then.

Her acting career continues

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 22:39:20 UTC

After General Hospital in 2002, her work was pretty much characterised by short, one-episode appearances on TV series such as CSI: NY, 90210 and The League. She also appeared in the Sci-fi series Fringe, playing FBI special agent Amy Jessup and she starred in several movies. However, she is most known for the role of Rachel Zane in Suits.

Dating Prince Harry and becoming part of the royal family

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 23:03:03 UTC

Meghan and Harry met in July 2016. Meghan's celebrity image took a dramatic turn when she became engaged to Prince Harry in November 2017. The engagement and subsequent wedding were widely covered by the media.

Podcast

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 23:14:54 UTC

In summer 2022, Meghan launched her podcast Archetypes. This podcast aims to dissect, explore, and subvert the labels that try to hold women back. Guests included Mariah Carey and Serena Williams. This podcast relates to her younger years when she was also already thinking about equal rights for men and women. Additionally, this podcast creates authenticity and intimacy as she openly talks about topics that matter to her.

The Tig - lifestyle website

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 23:21:25 UTC

In 2014, Meghan started sharing her thoughts on food, beauty, fashion and travel, as well as her own story, on her lifestyle website The Tig. She set up the website as an attempt to include think pieces about self-empowerment and featured dynamic and inspirational women. This says a lot about her celebrity persona, as we get to know the open and honest person that she is. It creates a form of authenticity and intimacy as well, because we, the reader, get a glimpse of her life, how she thinks and what she loves and likes. However, unfortunately she shut the website down in 2017, when she started dating Prince Harry.

Done with acting?

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 23:30:12 UTC

Late 2017, everyone's favourite paralegal left Suits. In November 2017, shortly after Meghan met the Queen, the actress was reported to be leaving her role in Suits after seven seasons. She has said she gave up acting to be a full-time royal. Before marrying Harry, Meghan was known and respected as an actress and a feminist. Now we see a change in celebrity image here. It is no longer Meghan the actress - although she is still known for her famous role in Suits - but it is Meghan Duchess of Sussex, wife of Harry the Duke of Sussex.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sit down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 23:43:04 UTC

In 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan dropped numerous bombshells, including revelations about Meghan's struggles with her mental health and a perceived lack of support from "The Firm", as well as being subjected to racism.

Meghan Markle - the activist

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 23:44:20 UTC

Meghan tackled to issue of the stigma around menstrual health in an article for Time magazine in March 2017 and was a global ambassador for World Vision Canada, which campaigns for better eduction, food and healthcare for children around the world. This creates a sense of authenticity. It shows that she cares about other things outside of her work. Additionally, it shows once again how she uses her celebrity image to ensure that action is taken.

Combining acting and campaigning

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 23:46:58 UTC

Meghan combined both acting and campaigning for a while. She was both Meghan the actress and Meghan the feminist. Her image was largely associated with her acting talent and her philanthropic efforts.

lindestalman — 2023-11-06 23:47:41 UTC

"While my life shifts from refugee camps to red carpets, I choose them both because these world can, in fact, co-exist. And for me, they must." (Meghan Markle)

The public opinion 2.0

lindestalman — 2023-11-07 12:09:10 UTC

Meghan was an opportunity to push a more modern face for the royal family, but she was also a challenge because her racial identity itself signaled a transgression and disruption of the 'tradition' of the monarchy. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship was shining a light on inter-racial couples in the UK. Meghan, who is of African-American and white heritage, was set to become the first mixed-race member of the British Royal Family.

The public opinion

lindestalman — 2023-11-07 12:44:03 UTC

As a successful actress in the series Suits, Meghan was quite present in the public eye. Gossip sources mostly refer to her as 'Meghan, the actress'. She is everything and does everything any other actress would do; doing interviews and going to talk shows. However, on top of being an actress she is still campaigning and striving for equal rights. This is something she often talks about as well. Overall, the public loves Suits star Meghan Markle.

lindestalman — 2023-11-07 12:52:38 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-07 12:55:19 UTC

To get an idea of the type of feedback and public response Meghan got during her time as Rachel on the show:

"Such an inspiration, strong willed!"
"Wow. I'm really impressed! Incredibly intelligent woman ...and clearly passionate about this cause. And obviously very beautiful too."
"one of the most inspiring woman in recent years! you can see her background education when she talks."

These positive reactions of Meghan are an example of how she was perceived by the public during her time in Suits.

lindestalman — 2023-11-07 13:37:54 UTC

"Meghan as usual, so humble in front of anyone...so talented... so deserving of her new life ! Love u Meghan !"
"Meghan looks and behaves real in this interview"

Stepping down as senior Royals

lindestalman — 2023-11-07 18:38:49 UTC

In January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping down as senior royals. This news received various negative reactions from the public.

lindestalman — 2023-11-07 23:27:46 UTC

Meghan addressed one incident were she supposedly made Kate Middelton cry. On top of that Meghan also said that while the public was told that she and Harry didn't want their children to have royal titles, that that was a lie - they did want them so that their children could have security. She and Harry also claimed that there were concerns and conversations about how dark Archie's, their son, skin might be when he was born. She makes herself extremely vulnerable in this interview by telling all this, knowing that millions of people will see this. We see her in a honest light: a new side of her, one that we have not seen before. We know Meghan the actress, Meghan the feminist, the Meghan that seems to always be doing things for others, but this time it is Meghan we opens up and shows us that she too can experience suicidal thoughts.

Suicidal thoughts

lindestalman — 2023-11-07 23:32:02 UTC

Meghan revealed that life within the royal family was so isolating and lonely, and that she felt so unsupported by the institution, that she contemplated suicide while pregnant with her son Archie. She is open about these problems to the public.

Style change

lindestalman — 2023-11-07 23:54:32 UTC

Over the years, Meghan's style has changed a lot as she went into different phases of her life. At first, it was Meghan the actress: figure-hugging dresser or ab-baring crop tops. Then, when she started dating Harry in public and she became Meghan the girlfriend, there were the more demure, muted looks which were followed by a mixture of Californian chic and bold designer outfits when she eventually moved to Montecito and laid down her duties as a Royal. Her fashion style becomes part of which phase she is in her life.

The feminist/campaigner/activist

lindestalman — 2023-11-07 23:55:22 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 00:00:57 UTC

We see a young Meghan. This is the actress and the one that is willing to work hard and focus on the things that matter. She is often dressed in designer clothes and outfits to appeal to her audience and the press as she is often invited to events and red carpets.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 00:04:56 UTC

Here, we see the royal persona: Meghan who is part of the royal family. As a royal, there are certain expectations when it comes to clothing. Not necessarily a change in celebrity image. However, there are certain things that had to change as she became a royal.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 00:05:29 UTC

Meghan doesn't have any royal duties anymore. She is just doing what she loves and with that comes her own wardrobe. She doesn't feel the need to wear tight, un-revealing, royal-like dresses anymore, but she has developed her own style that goes with what she is doing in life right now.

The public opinion 3.0

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 00:11:48 UTC

Where Meghan was once seen as the lovely actress in Suits, this changed quite quickly after the interview with Oprah. However, opinions weren't just one sided. Some became more sympathetic to her situation. Meghan's departure from royal life triggered varied public reactions. Public opinion appeared to be divided, with supporters praising her for seeking autonomy and critics accusing her of destabilizing the royal family.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 00:13:15 UTC

"I thought it was very staged and calculated. Most definitely one-sided and targeted".

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 00:15:43 UTC

"That made me cry. I felt that experience. I felt the honesty of what she was saying".

Harry and Meghan - Netflix Documentary

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 00:20:41 UTC

From their courtship to their exit from royal life, Harry and Meghan share their complex journey in their own words in this docuseries, which was released in 2022. A documentary in itself creates authenticity and intimacy. Meghan and Harry tell the story from their perspectives. Meghan has been though a lot up to this moment and she wants to tell her side of the story as there have been so many speculations and opinions. She reflects on where she has been and where she is now. This includes her time being a royal and her troubles with the press and eventually why they stepped down as royals.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 00:30:11 UTC

The first three episodes focus mainly on the romance, engagement and marriage of Meghan and Harry. The opening instalments of the series offer their personal story: an American actress from the TV series Suits meets the youngest son of Princess Diana in 2016. What is particularly interesting, is that we get to see some unseen clips from their daily life. This says a lot about her persona: she is willing to share some very personal moments with us which shows how honest and open she is.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 00:31:52 UTC

Having a docuseries once again creates some sort of authenticity and intimacy. However, we, as an audience, don't know what has been left out and what has purposefully left in. However, we get to know the Meghan that is so deeply in love with Harry and we they tell their story.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 18:11:34 UTC

The tig was her own personal blog and she used it tell personal stories. On her 33rd birthday, she wrote that her '20's were brutal': she had trouble fitting in as a teenager. She also wrote that, as a biracial, she fell somewhere in between and didn't really fit anywhere. She was open about everything in her blog.

Sometimes talking about personal things, while you are already famous, can backfire and can be used against you. However, in this case people created more empathy for the biracial actress who is a big supporter for equal rights herself as well.

She also made a list of New-Year's resolutions which included running the New York Marathon, stop swearing and stop biting her nails. The fact that she shares this with us, shows us that she is also just a human being like us who has the same stupid and small resolutions which we might have. This way the wall that is between us, between celebrity and fan, becomes a little thinner.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 18:19:31 UTC

In the docuseries, Meghan is shown as a loving and supporting mother and wife. She is portrayed as if her long career and past struggles, everything that brought her up to this point, have hardened and wisened her. It made her stronger and in this docuseries she explains the choices that she made.

The present day

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 18:35:17 UTC

Nowadays, Meghan is living her life with Harry and two children in Montecito. She is working on the foundation, together with Harry she creates films for Netflix and she still is a feminist striving for equal rights. She changed a lot over the years and so did her celebrity image. From beloved, working hard actress, to respected royal persona, to focused mother/wife/feminist/activist, she has done it all. However, what began at a young age, feminism, is still with her. She is all there for helping others, equal rights and telling her story which creates more and more authenticity, intimacy and relatedness. Additionally, something that she has always done and can be seen throughout her different phases is the fact that she is so open about everything. It started with her blog, then during her time as royal, after her time as a royal in her podcast, the documentary and even now while doing interviews. She is showing the real her to us and not some perfected version.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 19:35:13 UTC

Skin colour

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 20:07:00 UTC

This interview with Meghan substantiates the fact that she has been struggling with her skin colour pretty much in every phase she has been. On her blog, in her podcast and in the Oprah interview she talks about a few situations in her life where the colour of her skin mattered. This was during her youth, the time she was an actress, when she was dating Prince Harry. She is open about the things that happened during her youth and why Suits stole her heart as they were precisely looking for someone like her. This is reflective of her celebrity image as it portrays her as a relatable human being that works hard to get what she wants.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 20:26:29 UTC

This video is evidence of the celebrity using her celebrity image to inspire others. What is interesting here is that the title of the video 'Suits' star Meghan Markle' shows that she is known, her celebrity persona, as a star from the show Suits while she is also talking about other things that matter to her.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 20:37:07 UTC

Meghan Markle began to reshape her image by actively participating in philanthropic and humanitarian initiatives. Even when married to Harry, Meghan has continued to focus particular energy on women's empowerment and gender equality, as she has for many years. She has always been a feminist: this already started when she was 11 years old. She has undertaken work with organisations such as the UN with emphasis on women's issues. Nowadays, she focuses on girls education, encouraging young women in fulfilling their potential and female empowerment. This says a lot about her celebrity persona and about the person that she is and always has been. It is one of the key elements that stayed with her during the different phases in her life.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 20:40:21 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 20:47:24 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 21:04:50 UTC

During her time in Suits, her acting phase, she is seen as a star: she is a star in a famous series. However, I would rather say she becomes more of a celebrity when she marries Prince Harry. She is famous for marrying a Prince and she leaves her acting days behind her.

Archewell foundation

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 21:34:13 UTC

Archewell, founded by Meghan and Harry, is a non-profit Organization which uplifts and unites communities - local and global, online and offline. It once again shows how Meghan gives to the community and shows us how she cares. This is a key point in her celebrity persona. She is an activist and works hard for the things she wants to achieve.

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 21:52:03 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-08 22:05:38 UTC

Shows how podcasts can lead to more authenticity and intimacy.

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 00:20:42 UTC

Meghan is looking quite somber during the interview (once in a while a few laughs). It is as if her long career and her past struggles, everything that brought here up to this point, have hardened and wisened her. All the things she had to deal with in the past, the press, the royals and everything about her skin colour, made her stronger and it made her the person that she is today. Opening up about that in this interview with Oprah, one of the most respected woman to do interviews with, creates a lot of authenticity and relatedness.

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 00:28:15 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 00:32:01 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 00:38:20 UTC

This study examined how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex linguistically constructed the messages that they wanted to get across. Whereas half feels empathy for Meghan and the things that she had to go through, others feel that she is not speaking the truth and is deliberately slandering the royal family and the press.

Public Scrutiny and Tabloid Coverage

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 00:58:55 UTC

One of the most prominent aspects of Meghan Markle's changing image was her highly publicized conflict with the British tabloid press when she started dating Prince Harry.

The media played a pivotal role in shaping Meghan Markle's image as she became a royal. News outlets covered her fashion choices, charity work, and interactions with the public, contributing to her portrayal as a style icon and a dedicated humanitarian. However, it also had a negative aspect. She was also being terrorised because of her skin colour and the fact that she was 'just' an actress from the United States.

So, I didn't necessarily change her personality, but the press changed her celebrity image for her by writing about her negatively in the news.

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 01:03:26 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 01:09:41 UTC

“It’s very different to be a minority but not be treated as a minority right off the bat. Obviously now people are very aware of my race because they made it such an issue when I went to the U.K. But before that, most people didn’t treat me like a Black woman."

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 01:31:15 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 01:33:29 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 01:47:32 UTC

This interview with Ellen Degeneres shows a different Meghan than we see in the Oprah interview and the Netflix documentary. She seems more happy and she is just chatting with Ellen about normal things in life. For example, how her daughter is getting teeth. This is all very relatable. In addition, she is now living in Montecito, she has no royal duties anymore, she is doing what she loves. Seems like she has finally found a balance of sorts between her different personas.

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 01:52:56 UTC

This is in the beginning, when Harry and Meghan are still dating and she is still a successful actress in the serie Suits. We see a star here, not a celebrity yet.

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 01:59:13 UTC

Once again shows openness as she talking about this to the press. It says a lot about her persona as we she a pattern throughout the years where she doesn't fear talking about her issues to the public.

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 02:00:52 UTC

"I'm sure he's great, but you shouldn't do it, cause the British tabloids will destroy your life." (Meghan's British friends)

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 02:02:13 UTC

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 11:58:03 UTC

This article shows that Meghan didn't really have another option. She had to change her celebrity persona as she was marrying royalty. Her voice had been silenced or appropriated by the monarchy: she has quit her acting career, closed down her popular blog and social media accounts for all her online activity to be ciphered through Kensington Palace, and a blog post she wrote on menstrual stigma has been co-opted for her official biography on the royal website.

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 13:24:20 UTC

Meghan is being described as 'Suits actress Meghan Markle' and 'The Hollywood princess'.

lindestalman — 2023-11-09 23:44:37 UTC

Study on why Meghan was so negatively in the UK tabloids and if her race or acting career influenced that.