Meghan Markle is returning to acting after previously saying she was “done” with the profession.

On Nov. 5, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, was spotted on the Pasadena, California, set of the upcoming film Close Personal Friends. The Sun was first to report the news.

“Meghan was on the set today,” an insider tells PEOPLE. “She has a small part. She seemed very relaxed and happy. She introduced herself to everyone and was very sweet and down-to-earth.”

Meghan is reportedly set to play herself in the Amazon-MGM Studios film, which also stars Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding. Production was announced in August, with the comedy set to follow a couple who befriend a famous couple during a trip to Santa Barbara — a perfect potential link to Meghan and Prince Harry’s family home in Montecito.

The “role” as herself will be Meghan’s first return to acting since marrying Harry in May 2018. The couple has since stepped back from their royal roles and moved to the coastal California enclave where they raise their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.

A studio source told The Sun: “This is a massive moment for Meghan and signifies a return to doing what she truly loves. She has been swamped with offers, but this one felt right.”

PEOPLE has reached out to a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex for comment.

Meghan got her start in Hollywood in bit parts on shows like Fringe and The League, as well as appearances as a suitcase model on Deal or No Deal, before landing her series regular role as Rachel Zane on the USA legal drama Suits.

She left the show following its penultimate seventh season in 2017, ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry.

“I don’t see it as giving anything up, I just see it as a change,” she said in their engagement interview with the BBC’s Mishal Husain.

“It’s a new chapter. Right. And also, keep in mind, I’ve been working on my show for seven years. So we’re very, very fortunate to be able to have that sort of longevity on a series,” she said. “For me, once we hit the 100-episode marker, I thought, you know what? I have ticked this box, and I feel really proud of the work I’ve done there, and now it’s time to, as you said, work as a team with [Harry].”

“I think what’s been really exciting as we talk about the transition out of my career and into my role is the causes that are really important to me that I can focus even more energy on,” she added. “Very early out of the gate, I think you realize you have access or a voice that people are willing to listen and with that comes a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously.”

In a 2022 interview with Variety for their Power of Women issue, Meghan was asked if she’d consider acting again.

“I’m done. I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not,” she said.

However, by then, she had started dipping her toe back into life on screen, with the announcement of her and Prince Harry’s Netflix documentary series, Harry & Meghan, directed by Liz Garbus.

“It’s nice to be able to trust someone with our story — a seasoned director whose work I’ve long admired — even if it means it may not be the way we would have told it,” Meghan said at the time. “But that’s not why we’re telling it. We’re trusting our story to someone else, and that means it will go through their lens.”

“It’s interesting. My husband has never worked in this industry before. For me, having worked on Suits, it’s so amazing to be around so much creative energy and to see how people work together and share their own points of view,” she added. “That’s been really fun.”

Meghan’s Netflix presence has continued this year, with two seasons of her lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan, in which she welcomed famous friends like Chrissy Teigen, Tan France, Mindy Kaling and more to Montecito to try out her favorite recipes, home hacks and entertaining tips.

On Aug. 11, 2025, Meghan and Harry’s production hub, Archewell Productions, announced the extension of its creative partnership with Netflix through a multi-year, first-look deal for film and television projects. The lineup also includes a holiday episode of With Love, premiering in December.

A statement said that the project is titled With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, teasing, “This December, join Meghan in Montecito for a magical holiday celebration.”

Despite her and Harry’s emphasis on family privacy, Meghan said in her 2022 Variety interview that she wasn’t necessarily opposed to Archie or Lilibet one day following her into acting.

“When you become a parent, you genuinely want your kids to find the things that bring them complete joy,” she explained. “They’re our kids, obviously, and they’re part of a legacy and a tradition and a family that will have other expectations. But I want them to be able to carve out their own path. If it’s the entertainment industry, great.”

“And also, good luck. There are so many people that will talk about what opened the door for my children. But it still takes talent and a lot of grit. We’re creating multidimensional, interesting, kind, creative people. That’s who our kids are.”