Transcription
[Music] Hi, I'm Bahar Takhtehchian, editor-at-large, Shape Magazine, and you're watching our Fit and Famous video series. And today, we are joined by the beautiful Meghan Markle. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Oh, it's my pleasure. Thank you for having me.
Of course. You guys may recognize Meghan from USA's Suits. You play Rachel. Tell us a little bit about your role.
Rachel is the paralegal at the firm, but she's sassy and intelligent, incredibly confident, has its encyclopedic knowledge of the law, and it's incredibly valued at the firm. She's also the love interest from Mike Ross, and we ended season two with a bit of a saucy finale, definitely for Rachel. And so, we're starting season three now, which will begin airing July 16th. It's pretty exciting.
Very exciting. Now, you know, as an actress, of course, you have very long hours sometimes. What do you do when you're on set and you need like an energy boost? What's your go-to trick?
Definitely a green juice. I mean, I think trying to go for coffee or things like that only end up hurting you at the end. So, to get like a really good natural source of energy, like a great green juice or even kombucha, I'll have sometimes something that just gets right into your system is a nice pick-me-up.
And who introduced you to that?
I'm a California girl. I think all those hippy-dippy things have been in my DNA, so probably since the womb. But no, I think it's just important to keep a healthy lifestyle, especially when you're maintaining hours like that, to just make the right food choices.
Absolutely, especially for the, the energy levels. And of course, you need to stay in shape because you are a big actress in Hollywood. What do you do to stay in such fantastic shape?
Thank you for saying that. I love running, but I think I think it's defined a work, a workout routine that really speaks to you beyond trying to get goals for your body. So, for me, running is like, I need it as much for my head and to clear my head as I do for keeping in shape. So, I love to jog. I do a lot of hot yoga, Bikram yoga specifically, and then Pilates at Pilates Platinum in LA.
Do you work out with a trainer, or are you the type of person that, you know, you read magazines or you just kind of train yourself?
Yeah, no, I do it all on my own. And definitely like, I do DVDs at home, right? Go for a run by myself. I think if you can self-motivate, that's half the battle.
Do you have any particular DVDs that you love?
Yeah, I've been doing the Tracy Anderson DVDs, gosh, four, five, six years almost now. And I just find the results are great, and you can do a little 15-minute increments. I'll do it in my trailer. You just find those little bits of time that help, and then at the end of the day, you've had a full workout.
Exactly. And she's so popular with, you know, stars and regular people, so I understand the way to go. Yeah.
Now, in addition to, of course, working out in order to stay in great shape, diet is also a component of it. What are some of your nutritional habits?
I definitely try to eat as clean as possible, and I started working with Dr. Alejandro Younger and the Clean Cleanse, I don't know if you've heard of that program. So, I definitely just try to avoid the things that I know are gonna make me feel lethargic or sluggish. I mostly just fish and veggies, but I am also a foodie. So, on the weekends, all bets are off. I think if you deprive yourself anything, you're just gonna create it more. So, for me, it's just finding that balance, eating really good during the week, and then, you know, treating yourself to whatever it is you want over the weekend.
What are some things that you like to splurge on?
Oh, on the weekend? Oh, man. Last night, I had the best food. I had a great burger. I loved fries, but then you find ways to still keep that healthful, right? To have sweet potato fries or bake them. And I definitely love good Italian food and Mexican food. Yeah.
Oh my gosh, again, California girl, grew up having a lot of. Do you cook yourself, or are you the type that kind of eats at most restaurants?
No, no. I love to cook. So, every day I'm cooking something, even if it's just making a pesto that I can put in the fridge for later in the week, or any little component that you feel like you can take some pride in, I think is really important versus just going out to eat.
Okay, let's switch gears a little bit. Of course, you know, as an actress, you get to be around a lot of professional makeup artists and hair people. Are there any great tricks that you've picked up over the years?
Oh, man. I mean, number one, and people always say it, but it's so true, it's just hydrate, hydrate all the time. Your skin will look better, everything will look really good. I have been using a lot of coconut oil, though, of late, on my skin, on my hair, like it's a deep conditioner, and then even to cook with. So, I guess that's the second thing that I'm a big fan of. And then, in terms of actual beauty products, I would say one of my favorite things in the world is just to shake a lot of concealer under eyes. It's, uh, it'll save you on the days where you didn't get quite enough sleep, which happens a lot in your industry.
And finally, you know, what is being in shape mean to you?
I think being in shape just means feeling confident, being as healthy as you can, and, and I guess just owning whatever it is that you have. I think being happy with your size and, and being kind to yourself, that's part of being in shape too. Like, to really just say, it's okay if I'm up a little bit this day or down, whatever it is, to just own where you are and then love yourself.
Wonderful. Meghan Markle. You can catch her on season three of Suits on USA. Thank you so much.
Yeah, I appreciate it.
For more celebrity interviews, workouts, and tips on shaping your life, go to shape.com/videos.