New Stars Join 'The Gentlemen' Season 3 Amidst Meghan Markle Casting Buzz
Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, and Robert Carlyle are among the new additions to the Netflix series, following speculation about the Duchess of Sussex's potential involvement.
Netflix has announced a wave of new talent joining the cast of "The Gentlemen" for its third season, including Hollywood actors Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Robert Carlyle, Dexter Fletcher, Bruna Marquezine, Ed Speleers, Saffron Burrows, and Bugzy Malone. This expansion comes after a period of intense speculation over the summer regarding a potential role for Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, in the Guy Ritchie-created crime drama.
Daniel Ings, who played Lord Frederick "Freddy" Horniman, the elder brother of Theo James' character Eddie Horniman, will not be returning for the upcoming season.
The rumors surrounding Markle's involvement gained traction after Netflix executive Manda Levin offered a cryptic response when questioned about the possibility at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August. However, reports later indicated that Markle had not received a formal offer, with sources suggesting the Duchess viewed preliminary discussions as a potential offer. A friend of Markle's claimed that Netflix "used" the rumors to promote the show's second season, which premiered on September 3, suggesting the publicity benefited viewership figures.
Markle, who retired from acting in 2017 upon her engagement to Prince Harry, is best known for her role as Rachel Zane in the legal drama "Suits." She also appeared in the films "Remember Me" (2010) and "Horrible Bosses" (2011). Most recently, she filmed a cameo in the upcoming comedy "Close Personal Films."