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Since uprooting her life to marry Prince Harry, Meghan Markle has become one of the world’s most prominent figures. It’s honestly hard to remember a time when she wasn’t a Duchess—but she had a full life before joining the royal family. Here’s a look back at her early days in Hollywood, her booming career on Suits, and beyond.
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1990s: Back in High School
Katharine McPhee Foster shared a throwback picture of her and Meghan on Instagram last January. The singer explained that she and Meghan used to perform in musicals together when they both attended Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles.
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2006: Early Celebrity
A young Meghan mingles with fellow actress Mandy Moore and another attendee at an art exhibit in Los Angeles.
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2006: ‘Deal or No Deal’
The aspiring actress worked as a briefcase model on the game show Deal or No Deal while auditioning for TV pilots.
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2006: New Direction
Meghan told Esquire that the gig had its benefits: “Definitely working on Deal or No Deal was a learning experience, and it helped me to understand what I would rather be doing.”
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2006: Christmas Show
And because we couldn’t resist, here Meghan is seen posing with Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel on what we assume was a holiday episode.
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2007: Golden Globes Party
Meghan attends a Golden Globes party during the early stages of her career, when she was still primarily landing guest roles on TV shows.
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2009: Pre-Emmy Event
Meghan at a DPA pre-Emmy Gift Lounge event in Beverly Hills.
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2010: Chateau Marmont Party
Meghan loaded up on swag items as she attended an event at the Chateau Marmont. This was just a year before she landed her big break on Suits.
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2011: Landing a Show
Meghan’s role of Rachel Zane on USA’s hit drama series Suits, which premiered in 2011, is unquestionably her biggest role to date. Here she is with one of her costars on the show, Rick Hoffman.
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2011: An Activist
Meghan Markle spoke at the Anti-Defamation League’s 2011 gala, serving as the event’s Master of Ceremonies.
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2012: With Gina Torres
The actress and her costar on Suits, Gina Torres, share a laugh at a Mr. Porter.com event.
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2012: Cast Photo Op
Meghan and more of her Suits castmates, all of which were invited to the royal wedding in 2018. “You can feel that we all get along on- and off-camera. And that chemistry is really prevalent in each of the episodes,” she told Esquire in 2013.
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2013: Screen Actors Guild Awards
Meghan wore straight hair for Entertainment Weekly‘s Screen Actors Guild Award party in 2013.
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2013: Rangers Game
In 2013, the actress attended the New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils hockey game, looking casual yet stylish in a leather jacket and oversized scarf.
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2013: ELLE Event
Meghan poses with the guest of honor at an event thrown by ELLE celebrating Kerry Washington in New York City. Both actresses were leads in hit shows at the time.
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2013: Fashion Week
Meghan sits front row at the Tracy Reese show during 2013 New York Fashion Week. She attended several different shows during the season.
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2013: Front Row
Meghan sits in the front row of the Herve Leger By Max Azaria Spring 2014 fashion show alongside Giuliana Rancic, Monica Rose, and Petra Nemcova at The Theater at Lincoln Center.
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2013: Tory Burch Show
Another show the Duchess attended: Tory Burch at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. She wore an all-black outfit with a pop of pink on her lips.
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2013: American Ballet
Meghan wore a beige silk gown with a bow shoulder detail to the opening of the American Ballet theater.
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2014: DirecTV Happy Hour
The actress played bartender by mixing up some drinks at a DirecTV event in New York City.
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2014: DirecTV Beach Bowl
Meghan, Shay Mitchell, and Nina Agdal participate in the DirecTV Beach Bowl. It looks like they won!
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2014: Fashion Week (Again)
Meghan wore a white Hervé Leger dress with a studded leather jacket to a New York Fashion Week event in 2014.
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2014: Miu Miu Show
The actress arrived at an event for Miu Miu wearing a 1960s-inspired ensemble by the designer.
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2015: Wes Gordon Show
Clearly, Meghan was a fan of this coat, as she also wore it to the the Wes Gordon runway show at Milk Studios in New York City. When paired with a long pastel blue skirt, it takes on a totally different vibe.
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2014: Peter Som Show
At a Peter Som event during Spring Fashion Week at Milk Studios.
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2015: Misha Nonoo Show
Another Fashion Week show, another crop top. Here, Meghan poses before the Misha Nonoo show at Center 548.
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2015: Toronto Fashion Week
We spy one of Meghan’s first monochromatic looks at World MasterCard Fashion Week Fall 2015 in Toronto, Canada.
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2015: London Premiere
The actress attending the premiere of A Postcard From Istanbul with English chef, Amber Nutall.
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2016: Another Season
Before the season 5 premiere of Suits, Meghan spoke onstage with costar Sarah Rafferty at the Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel—and clearly something amusing was said.
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2016: With Rick Hoffman
At the same event, Meghan and Rick Hoffman goofed around offstage. She told Esquire that off-camera, the cast enjoy playing Apples to Apples and drinking Scotch into the wee hours of the night.
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