Meghan Markle has briefly returned to acting.
The Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance in a new ad for instant latte brand Clevr, which appeared on the company’s Instagram page Tuesday.
“Damn, you’re keeping us BUSY right now! Had to call in some reinforcements,” read the caption.
PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE SHARE THEIR DIGITAL HOLIDAY CARD VIA ARCHEWELL ORGANIZATION
While the mother of two didn’t speak, she appeared to play an intern while showing off her comedic chops.
As Clevr Blends co-founder Hannah Mendoza gave a tour of “Clevr HQ,” the former American actress is seen sitting at her desk while typing on her computer, handing Mendoza a coffee mug and giving a fist bump to another team member before bursting out laughing.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the “To Di For Daily” podcast, told Fox News Digital that the ad may be a sneak peek of what’s to come.
Meghan Markle starred as Rachel Zane in the legal drama “Suits.” (Christos Kalohoridis/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal)
“I think this is a step towards content creation, which falls under the influencer category,” said Schofield. “This is Meghan showing people, likely her people, what she is capable of. Plus loads of free press like we’re giving her coffee friends now.
“Meghan the influencer coming in 2024,” Schofield added.
The 42-year-old previously starred in the legal drama “Suits” for seven seasons. She left the series after she got engaged to Prince Harry in 2017. Markle became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince in 2018.
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Meghan Markle gave up acting when she got engaged to Prince Harry. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
The couple stepped back as senior royals and moved to California in 2020. Since then, she has taken on the role of producer for several projects, including the couple’s Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan.”
It’s noted that Markle is an investor in Clevr. She announced her involvement with the startup in late 2020.
“This investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritizes building community alongside her business,” said Markle at the time, as quoted by Forbes. According to the outlet, the size of her investment was not disclosed.
Mendoza praised Markle for being the company’s “first investor, adviser and biggest Clevr advocate.”
Meghan Markle served as a producer in the Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan.” (Netflix)
The product was featured on “Oprah’s Favorite Things” list in 2021.
“She’s bringing her celebrity attention to a company that she benefits financially from and believes in,” royal expert Shannon Felton Spence told Fox News Digital.
“However, I don’t think it should go unnoticed how much she has been doing on her own in recent months,” Felton Spence shared. “She is intentionally and strategically separating her brand from her husband… Remember, she signed with William Morris, not Harry. I think she is future-proofing.
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Meghan Markle arrives for Variety’s Power of Women event at Mother Wolf in Los Angeles, California, on November 16, 2023. ( LISA OCONNOR/AFP)
“She has gotten as much out of the royal brand as she is ever going to,” Felton Spence continued. “Now she has to build something on that foundation.”
When Markle appeared on the red carpet for Variety’s Power of Women gala, the duchess teased that she was working on several “exciting things” as part of her and Harry’s production company, Archewell Productions. Markle told a reporter at the event that she couldn’t wait to announce what they were working on, and they’re “really proud of what we’re creating.”
Many have speculated Markle could return to acting, especially after she was signed by WME in April. The talent agency is led by CEO Ari Emanuel, who has a reputation for his aggressive deal-making skills, making him “one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures,” Page Six reported. He inspired the character Ari Gold in HBO’s “Entourage.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex parted ways with Spotify this year. (DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP)
The outlet noted that WMC will assume representation of Archewell, the organization run by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
While film and television production, brand partnerships and “overall business-building” will be explored by the duchess and her team, “acting will not be an area of focus,” Variety reported.
In June, the couple announced that they were parting ways with Spotify less than a year after the debut of their podcast “Archetypes.” It’s unclear why the podcast, hosted by Markle, was leaving the platform. Spotify and Archewell Audio said in a joint statement that the decision was mutual.
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Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince in 2018. (Aaron Chown)
In August of this year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex bought the rights to Carley Fortune’s bestselling romance novel, “Meet Me at the Lake,” and have plans to make the page-turner into a feature film.
Doug Eldridge, an agent and celebrity marketing expert, told Fox News Digital that it’s not surprising that Markle would show her support for Clevr.
“Ryan Reynolds has been the pitchman for his startups while Ashton Kutcher is more of a background investor,” he explained. “Markle does not have the acting resume of those two, but she certainly has the recognition factor and that matters from an endorsement standpoint. If she has an equity stake in the company, then using her celebrity not only raises awareness, it also drives sales, which provides a bigger and better return on her investment. If that was the end goal, then making a subtle cameo was a smart move.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle purchased the rights to the romance novel “Meet Me at the Lake” for a Netflix production. (Chris Jackson)
“Markle might also be looking to put her stake in the ground as an advocate for women-run businesses and female founders,” said Eldridge. “Her core demo skews largely female, so that would make sense, provided her intentions are true, and her execution is consistent.”
But not everyone thinks Markle’s latest move is a clever one.
Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital that it’s going to take more than an ad for Markle to win over critics following her royal exit.
“When Sarah Ferguson became a spokesperson for Weight Watchers, the reaction, at least in the United States, was overwhelmingly positive,” said Andersen. “Those commercials were clever and quite frank. She wasn’t trying to be cute. She was there to sell a product. The Duchess of York was relatable in a way that… the Duchess of Sussex simply isn’t… Maybe it’s because Fergie never came off as a whiner, even after she, more or less, was cast out of the royal family financially and forced to fend for herself.
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Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, was a spokesperson for Weight Watchers. (Bob Levey/WireImage for Ketchum Entertainment Marketing)
“I’m certain in the future Meghan will take a more direct approach toward pitching the products she and Harry have invested in,” Andersen continued. “She’ll take more heat for it, especially in the U.K., but at least it seems a lot more honest. Judging by this sophomoric Instagram ad, it seems the Sussexes still have some growing up to do.”
In February of this year, Schofield told Fox News Digital that the duchess may be eyeing a return to her now-defunct lifestyle site “The Tig.”
“Inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow, Meghan launched ‘The Tig’ at the height of her ‘Suits’ fame,” said Schofield. “I think ‘The Tig’ perfectly aligns with Meghan’s ultimate objective, which seems to be being an influencer rather than a royal.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in California with their two young children. (Andrew Milligan – WPA Pool)
Markle shut down her lifestyle website months after she started dating Harry in 2017. The site — aimed to share Markle’s personal reflections as well as her passions for food and travel — was created in 2014. Its name is inspired by the Italian wine Tignanello.
A spokesperson for the duchess didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment at the time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.