Meghan Markle On "Suits" | AOL BUILD

[Music] Rachel, I heard the jury was back. I came down to hear the verdict. There's not going to be a verdict. You can turn right around because Mike took a deal. Just spend two years in prison. Oh my God. And they're in there right now signing off on it. And I don't know what to do. Okay, I'll tell you what you need to do. You need to go back inside and you need to be there for him. I'm not going to go back inside and be there for him. Why not? Because he told me that he wasn't going to do this. He told me that it was on the table, and I begged him not to take it, and he promised me that he wouldn't. Rachel, last night Harvey came to me wanting to do the same thing, and I begged him to have faith in that jury, and Harvey kept his word. But he might not have. And I told myself that if he changed his mind, I would have to forgive him. Then Donna, you're a better woman than I am. Because Mike is my heart, and right now I feel like someone is ripping my heart out of my chest, and that's someone, that's someone's him. Hi Megan, I promise this. Donna won't tear your heart out. Thank you. Hey everybody. Me. Hi. Thanks for coming. So Megan stars in Suits, which had a very, uh, for her at least, unfortunate season finale, in which her love went to the big house. That's right. Would you care to elaborate on that? You know what's so hard is that I don't know how many people are watching this. I know it's live streaming, right? And, ooh, social media will kill you for spoilers. But I mean, if it's already aired, you, I know I'm, I'm totally with you, like before it airs. But at some point, you have to be like, dude, we can talk about what exists. Yeah, I mean, I'm sensitive to it because we have so many global followers of the show who aren't able to see it as quickly. But I will say, yes, I mean, obviously season five ended with a pretty turbulent, not cliffhanger, but a really finite ending. Um, and so I think for a lot of people, the biggest question was, what happens now? Where do we go from there in season six? Especially because, is there going to be a time jump? Are we going to start off somewhere else? No, it's starting in real time. We are starting right after we left off. Oh, really? Mhm. I had a, the show returns the summer, by the way. Yes, it comes back in June. So we start going back to filming April 4th. Um, so we are, I can't wait to have my Suits family back with me. It's been a while. We've been on hiatus for a couple months. Um, yeah, it must be so hard going to work with those two ugly, ugly dudes. I mean, it's a dub job. I hope you get a raise every year. There, look, I mean, I think with any job, if you're working with the same people that closely for now five years of your life, yes, of course, we're a family. We've grown up together. Um, the people that I'm closest with on the show, though, are Rick and Sarah, um, who play Donna and Louis. Those are my buddies. Rick and I always go and get foot massages together. It's our own off-camera version of bonding, I guess. Um, yeah, so I'm excited to see everybody again. Oh my God, we should have had a foot masseuse on stage with us. Wouldn't that be something? He's the one that loves it so much. We could put reflexology. Do you think that they will ever, that you and Mike, that Rachel and Mike will they ever get married? Married? Um, I hope so for them. I think the fans are owed that moment, you know? I mean, we watched them play this game of cat and mouse so long and so many seasons, um, and sort of finally see their relationship come to fruition in that way. Look, it's, it would be worth it. That wasn't the original ending, though. What we ended with at season five in the scripted version, they got married. Really? And then when that script came out, the first draft of it, myself and Gabriel both had a very guttural response to it. And Aaron Kors, our creator, was on his flight from LA. Mhm. And I called him and left him a voicemail saying, I know we're shooting this in four days, but like, I don't think this makes sense. Why would they get married like this before he goes to prison? And so he changed it. Well, it was actually interesting. I read a Q&A with him, with the, with the creator and with Aaron, and he said that initially, I think Mike was supposed to go to prison in season one, at the end of season one. Well, you know more than I do. I didn't know that. So I was like, oh, that's interesting. Like, that would have, the show would have, you know, been completely different. Yeah, I mean, Aaron is, Aaron is so talented, and he's also so hands-on. And to be able to be on a show this far into it where he is that committed to making sure it really has an air of authenticity, he'll be one of the first people to say it. He can create that world for us, but we've each individually been living our characters. So we're going to see it through a different scope. And he's always open to hearing our point of view on that. And he even said himself, he couldn't decide if he wanted Mike and Rachel to be married or not at that point. Um, so he had been waffling, and then ended up changing it. I'm really happy that he did. And you said, you just said that you want them to get married for the fans. How do you envision it? Do you want him to like, somehow plea, I guess, can you plea bargain your way out? I don't know how that really works. I have, you're the lawyer. Oh, no, Rachel's not a lawyer yet. She has no idea. Nor do I. Uh, no, I don't know. I mean, I don't know how it's going to play out because of course, with Mike in prison now, Rachel's world opens up in a very different way. I mean, I, one of the first things I said to Aaron was, oh no, does this mean Logan Sanders is coming back? Because the fans got so mean when that happened. Um, I mean, people didn't want to see Rachel misstep. She has been a moral compass so much on the show, so that was a really big problem for a lot of fans. And I understand that. But with that said, she's human. And I think if Mike is away at prison, we want to trust that their love can endure that. But she's going to have a lot of other catalysts in her life now, um, that might rock the boat. And do you have any idea of what's coming up or not until the first table read? I have a sense of what's happening in the first episode, um, which I cannot tell you any of. I'm so sorry. I always try to like, get people to spill a little, and, you know, everyone's been so well-trained at this point. We have, we, we are well, well trained. But I think what's good about that is if you get everyone to spill just a little bit, you can connect all the dots, and then you'll have the whole story. So it's worth it. Spilling the fake story. In which, right, we're not, we're not that deceptive. No, we're not that good. Um, so I do know what's happening in that first episode, and it's really going to introduce that world of Mike's new life in prison, what happens with the firm, um, and then of course, you know, how they're going to get out of this. And what of yourself do you see in Rachel? Are there any qualities of yourself that you've infused into her? Well, I mean, she's a foodie now because they knew that was very important to me. And, um, but no, in terms of actual characteristics, like we're both incredibly ambitious. Um, and I do appreciate that we're both very strong-willed and trying to, as most women are, you know, finding the balance between career and life, relationship, all of that. Um, so I appreciate how Rachel handles that, and I see a commonality with us there. I don't cry as much as Rachel does. I don't think anyone does. Oh, gosh. Um, how do you cry? I mean, do you have like, I'm so dehydrated by the end of the season, I'm like, I can't anymore. Um, because you're an excellent, excellent crier. Thank you very much. Uh, it's a couple things. I mean, sure, like, 'cause you have, you have to understand, we're not just doing it for that one moment that you see on screen. There's like, many my coverage, your coverage, if we're doing this shot, the master. So those like breaking up the wine glass or the screaming and crying, you got to imagine we do that 20 times, right? Um, and I still want to give the same level of performance for my castmate as I would on my own cover. So even if you only see the back of my head, I'm still pouring tears for them. Um, I don't know how I do it anymore sometimes. If you just stare really hard for a long time, tears will come. Um, but no, it's more than that. It's just being in it. I mean, the stakes are so high, who wouldn't be crying? And it's finding different layers of it, which is the biggest challenge for me. And let's go back to the foodie aspect here. Sure. Because, um, this lady has this amazing food blog, The Tig. And, um, I just told her that I'm going to make her chicken recipe. Oh, yeah. The crispy chicken. Crispy chicken with lemons. So how did you kind of develop that side of yourself, the foodie side? Yeah, I mean, The Tig, it has a lot of elements to it. There's fashion, travel, of course, interviews with, with Tig that I do with a lot of celebrities or influencers, and then, you know, the beauty section, which is important to me because I've tried to redefine it and write a lot more think pieces and things that really speak to inner beauty. Um, so I started it. It'll be two years in May, and I still, um, yeah, it's still my baby. I wanted a place where I could share these great experiences I'm able to have and make it inspirational for people, but also a reminder that it's all attainable. You know, like this is, I didn't grow up with this kind of lifestyle or being interviewed or having fancy things like that. This is all very new. And so to be able to show like, you want that, you could totally have that, and you were enough, and you're worth it. And it's also been a great way for me to connect with people like Emily, who's right here. I only know her through Twitter, and I knew she was coming because I saw it on social media. Stop it. Really? Yes. And she's going on a trip soon to Costa Rica to do some aid work because she said that my UN stuff inspired her. I wrote you a letter. I brought it. Okay. That is [Applause] amazing. So to finally meet you. It's so great to meet you. We'll take. Oh, oh, oh, this is, I got a big letter from M. Oh, no. I also have a letter from Soul, who is Megan Markle. Oh, yeah. In Brazil. Yes. Oh my God. Mine and hers. And then I'll write you right after we finish the interview. That is so cool. That's actually like, seriously using your outreach for, for good, for to connect with people. Well, you know, I feel a really big responsibility. Like, if, if you have this kind of job and you have an opportunity to have a profile where people are listening to what you're saying, I really truly think you need to be saying something that's valuable. So yes, you can talk about like, where did Rachel get that pencil skirt? Fine, sure, we can have that conversation. But I'd also like to talk about women's rights, women's rights, and like my work with UN Women or with World Vision or humanitarian trips or just really bolstering self-esteem that has nothing to do with the external. Um, and so for me, that's been really important. And, and yeah, and that's a great part of social media for me. It's being able to see where that's landing and also that these young women, like she was just saying, Soul, who's in Brazil, who I've never met, these girls connect with each other. By the way, which I love that. I feel really grateful for that. And not for nothing, but your recipes are really easy to follow too. They're very visual. Like they're not like this long, daunting list where you're like, oh my God, where do I find this coriander? It's literally, I love how you do the pictures. Oh, I'm glad. The boards then ingredient boards. Is it what, like the Pinterest? Like it's like a Pinterest board, right? Yeah, kind of, sort of. Yeah, I made them for The Tig, and it's great because it just sort of lets you see visually, like step by step. Done. Make your. All right, let's talk about the UN. How did you get involved? Because I promise chicken stew to the United Nation. Chicken stew to the UN? Because everyone needs to eat. Yes, of course. And now we'll talk about feeding your soul. Yeah. Oh, that's good. Good segue, right? Very good segue. Uh, well, it's funny enough, it was through The Tig because I had written a piece about women's empowerment on Fourth of July, I guess last year, just called Independence Day, and really sort of owning what your independence means for you. And I had received an email the very next day from a senior advisor at UN Women saying, we love what you're using your platform to do. Would you potentially want to start working with us? And I didn't believe it at first. You were like, I'm a little busy. Not, not this. Yeah, I was like, I, I don't know. You like a lot of the emails I see. And, and I thought it was a joke. But I wrote back, and then the next day was on this conference call for a very long time, realizing that they were in fact serious about it. And I had said, well, you know what, I, um, I have a one-week hiatus coming up from filming Suits. Would I be able to come and shadow an intern at UN Women headquarters for a week? And there was this very long pause of like, I don't, we have to get security clearance and all of that. But they did, and I did. I took that week off work to really understand the pillars of the organization and working closely there. So I went to Rwanda, um, shortly thereafter, to really meet with female parliamentarians because Rwanda has the highest percentage of female parliamentarians of any government in the world. 64% of their government is female, which was astounding and amazing. Um, and then I was just recently in Rwanda again for something different with World Vision, that was just in January, working on, um, building new wells and water sources. And for me, it's a really easy delineation. I look at it and go, many young women and young boys, but specifically young women aren't able to go to school because they're spending hours a day walking to get water for their families. So by fixing that one piece of the puzzle, you can see from a grassroots level, you're now they can stay in school, they can get an education, they have a much larger promise for a brighter future. So not to mention the environmental degradation that you're reducing by having clean water wells as opposed to dumping things in a river or, of course, and the water, you know, when we're saying they're walking hours a day to get this water, it's contaminated water. It's not, you know, so it's like that one source can solve so many problems and be a source of inspiration. So yeah, for me, um, I'm just really happy to have a hiatus with a few months off because I'm able to work on stuff that really excites me like that. What is it like going on one of those trips? Because I feel like we see the photos, yeah, but what is the experience actually like? Um, well, my trip to Rwanda last year was very different because it was just, you know, it was primarily at Parliament. I did go to a refugee camp, though, which was my first experience of that. And I think it's, it's being there is a very different experience than what you, you see on TV. Of course, it impacts you so much. So that, you know, this year I was back in Rwanda, I feel very connected to that country now. Um, but being in these different villages, I think it, you know, the biggest takeaway for me, especially in, especially in my industry, is the contrast of the things that, you know, it just puts a different level of perspective on the things that we take for granted and the things that we complain about, right? We're all going to have our days, and it's all relative. But I think there's something so anchoring about being able to have a hands-on experience in any kind of aid work or volunteer work you can do. It doesn't matter what you're doing. I think just any opportunity to help people that have less than you will change how you move in the world without question. I think everyone should do it. I'm glad Emily is. And I can't believe you actually spent a week shadowing someone in the office because you never hear of anyone, I know, well-known doing that because that's called scut work. Oh, I thought, I thought you were going to say you never hear of them letting people in. I was like, I know. No, I, um, no, they've probably never been asked. Yeah, well, that, they said they hadn't had that question before. Um, but for me, I like, I don't just want to show up somewhere and wave my hand and feel like that's enough. Like, if I'm going to have my name attached to it or I'm going to do it, I really get very hands-on, which is exhausting, but you can sleep a lot better at night knowing that when you put your thumbprint on it, you feel really proud of being a part of it, and you know that it's being done well. Um, but yeah, I mean, shadowing was crazy. I mean, sitting in, you know, seeing some of the briefings for what they're going to say to Ban Ki-moon, our UN Secretary General, and understanding how that piece of it works, or understanding different pillars of an organization where they'll say, okay, there's meetings about the environment, and then there's a meeting about health and wellness, and a meeting about safety and security, and then a meeting about women's issues. And you go, okay, but aren't women affected by all of those things, right? Like, you can see where pieces of the puzzle are missing. And I think for me, it's really helpful to, yeah, to just be able to experience it so I can speak better about it and do more about it. Who's been the most inspiring woman in your own life? Um, gosh, there's so many. I mean, of, of course, my mom. I mean, this is a live stream. If I didn't, with my mom, you're not going to be at Christmas. You're no kidding. It's like my mom. Um, no, my mom's amazing. My mom is, too. We're so different. My mom is a yoga instructor and a social worker, and she's got a nose ring and dreadlocks, and she's super free-spirited, laid-back. Um, and so, yeah, so she's like, you just came out like this. I don't know where you came from. Um, my mom's amazing. I also, um, look, Bonnie Hammer, I consider a mentor. And from the moment I started at Suits, Bonnie has been wonderful to me. And just, I, I love women who I am able to look up to and say they have done so much in terms of leadership, but also promoting diversity. And what she's like, USA Network, especially, I feel really proud of. You know, Jessica Pearson could have just been cast as a white man, and Rachel could have been cast as a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl, and they've really embraced changing the landscape of television in that way. Um, like Anita Gibbs, for example. Aaron Kors is, Aaron, our creator. I know this was about Bonnie, but like Aaron too would say, that prosecutor could have been anyone. He's always like, we just want the best talent. It's colorblind casting. It's like, I don't care if it's a man or if it's a woman or what color they are, I just want the best actor for the job. Bonnie's the same, and I really respect her for that. And now we, we got to go back in time a little bit, and I have to ask you, you know, what, I'm going to ask this girl grew up on the set of Married With Children because of her dad, who is not Ed O'Neill. Do you guys, but look, it's such a young crowd. Do you guys remember that show with Al Bundy? You do. And Peg? Oh my God. Mom does. We all, um, everyone else is like, what? I know. Is that a reality? Well, they know who Christina Applegate is, though. So like, this was a show in the '80s. It was groundbreaking. Yeah, at the time. It was on Fox. It was ground, you didn't have anything this sort of racy and salacious on. Like, the dad is like, basically a drunk, and the mom doesn't like, is a chain smoker, and Christina Applegate, the daughter, was very provocative in her. Yeah, I mean, like, it was, it was iconic at the time, and it was on for a long time. Uh, so every day after school for 10 years, that's where I grew up. I was there, um, which is a really odd place for a little girl to grow up, let me tell you. I remember, 'cause I would be at the tapings, and I'd be there all the time, and I'd be in, you know, I went to all-girls Catholic school, so I'd be in a little school uniform, but then you'd watch like, Tracey Lords or Tia Carrere walk by in a school uniform. My dad's like, no, Meg, that's not the same. Different kind of, different kind of, different kind of vibe. Um, and he's like, don't be getting any ideas. Yeah, don't get any ideas. And what's really cool, if I think about it, is that because of that, I spent so much time in craft services, where they make all the snacks for the cast and crew, because it was a safer, not safer, but a more appropriate environment for a little girl to be than on set. And because of that, I think my love of food really began there. I learned how to like, do garnishes and bring beautiful trays of things to the booth. And so all these things now with The Tig, and much of which I learned in craft services of Married With Children, that is actually super, super cool. Yeah. Thanks. And that's such an overuse of the word super. I apologize, but that, that really is very, like, that's fascinating. One of those things, it's like, how things connect in life. And I would never think of it until you look at it now, right? Like, when you see your life come full circle, you're like, wait a minute, that happened because, because my dad was also a feminist and protecting me from seeing this sort of image that I then was thrown into. I mean, literally, if you look at that, and then say my work with UN Women, or my everything, or The Tig and food recipes, it all stems from little things that you would never see the gravity of them then. How do you look the way you do while trying out The Tig food recipes? Please. That is so nice. Um, well, thank you. I, I love to eat. But I think it's a balance, right? Like, I also, you don't want to hear that answer. I don't want to hear that. I want to hear like, there's a magic bullet. Like, you eat three carrots and you're good to go. No, come on. No, no, no, no. And the other part of it, too, is like, you've got to enjoy it. I'm not going to travel and not eat the food there that I want to try. Does that mean that every single day I'm eating french fries and ice cream? Because like, oh, I just have to eat it every. No, but like last night, did I go and have a really nice dinner with my best friend? And who's getting married? Married. I'm the maid of honor. Of course, we had to go celebrate. Yeah, you just, you know, somebody might say, no, you can't do that. You have press tomorrow, right? I also have a real life to live, and press is part of it, and so is celebrating with a friend. Like, you do, you do what you do, and whatever that means for you, wherever you find your comfort level. For me, this is it. And yeah, you find, I think there would be nothing sadder than if you blew off your best friend's dinner because you had to look a certain way the next day to do press. That is pretty, pretty. That is pathetic. That's no judgment. You. So pathetic is a really strong word. Yeah, it's just, it's a skewed version of how you, how you perhaps would want to live your life. And I'm happy with how things are going right now. So, yeah, I don't know. That's what Spanx are for. And now I'm sure we have some questions from the audience. We're going to start with a question from an online. I bet you have one in the front. Okay. Okay, so Tim would like to know, what advice would you give to a young aspiring actor graduating this year who also wants to be charitable and change the world? Wow, Tim has a lot planned. Um, I would say, slow and steady wins the race. That's actually something that I truly live by. My mom always sends me little turtles from wherever she travels as a reminder of, slow and steady wins the race. No, I think like, look, a couple pieces of advice I've been given that have really helped is that, don't give it five minutes if you're not going to give it five years. And I think especially starting off when you're making a commitment to want to have a career choice or something that's high value to you, oftentimes people become really easily discouraged. And if you were just stick with it a little bit longer, you might see a change. You know, I, the process of auditioning is grueling, and it is very challenging for your self-esteem as well, because you'll hear no a lot. But if you stick with it and you're doing it for certain reason, then, you know, you will end up hearing yes, as I did with Suits or projects before this as well. I mean, it's not the easiest. But I think what's great is that Tim is interested in then also doing aid work or giving back, because it'll help him have a balance in his life that makes it, it'll help to affirm for him. Bless you. That bless you also. Now back to Tim. Now, um, no, but I think like by finding that balance, like I was saying earlier, it's going to help keep him grounded and not make that audition the end all be all. If he doesn't get it, it's okay because you'll have perspective that bigger things are happening in the world. Exactly. Hi Megan, how are you? Hi, I'm good. What's your name? Erica. Hey, Erica. I wanted to ask you, I know this is really random, but I can't wait to hear what this is. I read that you used to be a freelance calligrapher. I did. And I wanted to know if you still practice your calligraphy and if you do, what's like some of your favorite fonts? That is such a, that's a great question. Um, so when I was an auditioning actress to pay the bills, I did so much calligraphy, um, because I could do it in my free time, and it's actually quite lucrative. But, um, I just had always had nice penmanship, and I'd done, I don't know, celebrity correspondence for Dolce & Gabbana or Four Seasons. I did Paula Patton and Robin Thicke's wedding. I did all these things. Like, yeah, it was crazy. I always say that if there's still a business card floating around there somewhere, I would just love to get a call from someone being like, will you do my son's Bar Mitzvah invitations? And you had to do each one individually. Yeah. Of it's, my God, it's your hand. But I, but I, this is what I want to happen. I want that card to somehow appear and get that phone call, and then have this 13-year-old boy show up to pick up his invitations, be like, oh my God, Rachel from Suits just did my Bar Mitzvah invitations. I cannot believe that. You, that it never occurred to me. I wouldn't charge them, by the way. You did every, everyone individually. Like, I somehow thought you would just like letterpress it or something. No, it's your handwriting. That's why. I mean, like, so what's so funny too, and I don't think I've ever told this, you don't want to get your natural hand oils on the paper. So I would wear a white tube sock on my hand and sit there and do all the place cards and envelopes. Girl, you got mad skills. Oh, no, I'm just resourceful. Calligraphy while wearing a tube sock. Resourceful. I mean, mad skills. Hey, hey, Megan, thanks for coming today. I'm a huge Suits fan. I graduated from law school in June, and it was always such an inspiration. Congrats. What's your name? Courtney. Congrats, Courtney. Thanks. Um, I was wondering, whenever you're on with your dad or with Jessica, I feel nervous. Like when you rewrote her speech, I crawled under my bed. Do they make you nervous, or is that just good acting? Oh, you mean with Gina and Wendell? Yes. Well, okay, Gina is fierce. She is so perfectly cast as Jessica Pearson. And I will say that first scene, there are a couple that I've, yeah, I get unnerved with Wendell. I don't know why. He's really, he's like a, he's just so cuddly and warm and easy, and he's a, they're both such fine actors. But there is the quality about Gina that is so regal that I remember there's one scene that I have with her. I think I was renegotiating something, and she just like walked towards me, and she had this posturing, and I, I was so un, I forgot my lines in the scene because I was so unnerved by it. And like, I even in the actual episode when I watch the scene, my ankles twitching. Like, not when I'm seated, like I'm standing there, and my ankle sort of bending like as a little girl when you get nervous. I'm like, hi. Now, meanwhile, in real life, no, like go to her house, and she cooks like Pad Thai, and we sit and drink wine and hang out. And, um, and she's awesome. But there's something about like, when she's in character, it's just, and she's tough. Oh my God. Great. Yeah, she's amazing. It's great. Question time for one more question, please. Hello, Megan. How are you? Hi, I'm good. How are you? Thank you. Great fan of your work. Thank you. What's your name? Could you hold up? Ari. Name is Ari. Hi, Ari. I wanted to ask, who's a better boss, Jessica or Harvey? And who do you hate more? Who is a better boss, Jessica or Harvey? Okay, so I'll answer that as Rachel. Uh, I think Rachel would probably say that Jessica is a mentor and a role model, and Harvey is a, Harvey's probably a tougher boss for her because she's playing both sides of like, being on Mike's side and then also having to be, uh, Harvey's associate. So I imagine Rachel would choose Jessica in that regard. And I don't, and I don't think she does hate either of them. They're both pretty awesome on and off camera. Yeah, Harvey was here. I mean, Gabriel was here. He's the best. He's the best. Oh, he's so lovely. Hard on the eyes, but otherwise really cool. Yeah. Right. I know. You can't, you can't win them all. Well, uh, thank you so much. Suits is back in June. Thank you. And please check out Megan's blog, The Tig.com. Thank you. Thanks, everybody. [Music]