Over the past year, the public’s eyes have been fixed on Prince Harry and his bride, former Suits actress Meghan Markle, as they exchanged vows at Windsor Castle, then welcomed their first child, Archie.
But what was really going on beyond the Palace gates as an American actress permeated the Royal Family? Well, we’re about to find out (kind of) in the sequel to Lifetime film Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance.
Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal continues the story of the couple as they gear up to their wedding, dealing with the scandals that transpired in real life, including Meghan’s sad rift with her father Thomas Markle.
And Supernatural actress Tiffany Smith, 36, who steps into Meghan’s princess slippers for the flick, says they did their absolute best to ensure art really did imitate life.
Charlie Field and Tiffany Smith as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Image: Channel Seven).
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We caught up with the actress to find out all about her role in the biopic, and her real-life connection with Meghan Markle.
You have SUCH a likeness to Meghan Markle, had you been told that before being cast in the role?
Yeah, I have! I used to live in New York City, so when I moved from New York a couple of my girlfriends were like ‘Whenever we miss you we watch Suits. There’s a girl on there who look like you, and her personality reminds us of you too.’ That was where it started. Once Harry and Meghan started being more public about their relationship, that’s when it started happening a lot more. A lot of British people in L.A. would be like, ‘You know who you look like?’ and I’m like ‘I know exactly who you’re going to say’.
Has anyone ever stopped you to ask if you’re the real Meghan?
Yes! I went to London and it was around the time the Dodgers were playing the World Series, so I had my Dodgers cap and my yoga pants and I was running through the park and I was like gosh it’s so beautiful, I should ask someone to take a picture for me. There was a guy walking past so I asked him to take a photo and it was in front of Kensington Palace. But I didn’t realise that, at the time, that was where they were living. So the guy takes the photo and goes to walk away, and he was like, ‘Are you Meghan Markle?’ I was like, ‘No I’m not, and that’s so sweet’. That night I went out to dinner with some of my girlfriends who were British and I told them what happened. They were like ‘Oh my god Tiffany, that’s where she stays when she comes here.’
Meghan and Harry have recently welcomed baby Archie (Image: AAP)
Were you nervous about playing someone so high profile?
I think with any acting role you take on there are nerves, because of the fact that I’m kind of a perfectionist and I want to do a really good job at whatever is in front of me. So there was a little bit of that to begin with, and then adding on to it is the fact that they are real people. People have, myself included, have max amounts of respect and care and feelings about the two of them as real people. So it was really important to me that we did a really respectful job with their story. I do think she’s amazing. What they’re doing, by spreading joy and doing good in the world, is so important and I wanted to make sure that really came across in the movie. That it didn’t feel like we were basing everything off tabloid stuff.
Some of the moments in the film, like Meghan’s first Christmas with the Queen or the Royal Wedding, were heavily publicised. Was it easier to recreate moments the public have already seen on camera?
There were obviously a couple of scenes that we did that were very specific and we wanted to copy them exactly, because they were so iconic. People have it ingrained in their memory of what that moment looked like, so it was really important to get it right. I kind of enjoy that part of it. It almost feels like in magazines – you know those two photos next to each other, and it’s like, ‘What’s wrong with the second picture?’ So it felt a little bit like that to me, where when we did the replication scenes I really was always asking like, ‘Can someone pull up a video, can we look at the actual photos of them, how are they standing, is the hair in the right place?’. It was a little bit harder, but I found it to be fun as well.
You mentioned not having seen Suits originally. Once you got the role, did you watch it to study Meghan a bit?
Yeah, after I got the call-back. Watching Suits was kind of helpful, but it was more important for me to watch the speeches she’s given, or interviews that she did with reporters about Suits. Just because I feel like that was what we were going to dig into, that I had to wrap my mind and my acting skills around. The stuff that happens behind closed doors. Watching that and going on YouTube and even watching some of the stuff… I’d send Charlie, who plays Harry, videos on Instagram all the time. ‘Look at this cute one of them.’ It was really important for me to add in the stuff that everyone talks about, like how affectionate they are. Even the fact that they hold is a big deal, because you’re not supposed to do that as a noble woman. So it was really important for me that we looked at that stuff and could incorporate that into the characters and into the performance as much as we could.
You’ve definitely nailed her mannerisms. Obviously being an actress yourself, you might have crossed paths with people who know her. Was there anyone who was able to give you tips?
I actually had a couple of people that I’m friends with who are like, ‘Oh I’ve worked with her, I know her, or I know someone around her.’ I actually said I didn’t want to talk to them because I wanted to kind of… you never know what someone’s perspective is. There’s so much of it where you can interact with someone for ten minutes and you get one perspective of them, but it’s not who they are. So for me it was really more important that I did my own research and worked from the script that we had and incorporate that stuff. The other stuff that people are going to know is like, well is that who she is now, or ten years ago? I really wanted to do stuff that I could find on my own.
Harry and Meghan’s intimate moments in Becoming Royal (Image: Channel Seven).
Do you think anyone in the Royal Family might ever watch this movie? Would you want them to?
I definitely have thought about it. She’s an actress, so if I were in her position I would probably want to, just because it’s me. But I don’t know that they’re ever going to say they did. I don’t know that there will ever be a time where they’re like, ‘Yes we watched this movie!’ But I really, genuinely, just hope that they’re having a night – the two of them and the baby – having some junk food and watching the movie and enjoying it.
Now that Meghan and Harry have baby Archie, could there be another film?
I think we’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out! I had such an incredible time on this movie that I can’t imagine that, if we did another one, it wouldn’t be as great as an experience.
Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal airs Wednesday June 5, 9pm, on Channel Seven.
