Gugu Mbatha-Raw is not ruling out the possibility of playing Meghan Markle in future seasons of Netflix series The Crown.
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Chatting with Tatler in their February 2022 issue, the actress, who is currently starring in gripping new BBC thriller The Girl Before, was asked about how she'd feel if she was offered the part of the Duchess of Sussex on the show - and she found it both very funny and very tempting.
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"Oh my God, this is hilarious," she responded. "I'd be very flattered; I'd have to consider it."
The 38-year-old actress of South African and English heritage has long been compared to Meghan by fans of the hit historical drama who think she would be a perfect fit play the American-born royal.
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Gugu admitted that the role would certainly be a once in a lifetime opportunity, noting that audiences - particularly Americans - are very charmed by the events of the royal family. "It sounds like a fairy tale from an American point of view," she explained. "I'm sure it's not an easy life. And I'm sure we don't know the half of it. But I respect it."
© Photo: BBCGugu is currently starring in BBC series The Girl Before
However, while Gugu is a dead ringer for the Duchess, it seems that viewers may not ever see a series of The Crown covering the recent headline-grabbing story of Prince Harry and Meghan's departure from royal duties and move to the US.
Discussing the upcoming final two seasons back in December 2020, creator Peter Morgan said that he does not have plans to cast Harry and Meghan - or any of the modern royals.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Crown creator has previously discussed how the show will cover Harry and Meghan's story
However, he teased that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's story could be told in other, less literal ways. "Meghan and Harry are in the middle of their journey, and I don't know what their journey is or how it will end," he told The Hollywood Reporter, adding that he didn't want to include modern-day storylines because "to write about them would instantly make it journalistic".
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"There are plenty of journalists already writing about them. To be a dramatist, I think you need perspective, and you need to also allow for the opportunity for metaphor. Once something has a metaphorical possibility, it can then become interesting.
"It's quite possible, for example, to tell the story of Harry and Meghan through analogy and metaphor, if that's what you want to do."
