Ray Winstone offered a characteristically blunt reaction when the subject of Meghan Markle appearing in Netflix’s The Gentlemen was raised during an appearance on the Romesh Ranganathan podcast.
The veteran actor’s initial response to the casting speculation was simply: “Who?” He went on to say: “I’ve never met her.”
When comedian Mr Ranganathan pressed further, suggesting the Duchess of Sussex had been tipped to feature in the programme’s upcoming third series, Mr Winstone was unequivocal. “What, in The Gentlemen? Oh, shut up. I don’t think so,” he replied.
The Guy Ritchie gangster series, which also stars Theo James and Kaya Scodelario, has been commissioned for another run on the streaming platform.
Ray Winstone offered a characteristically blunt reaction when the subject of Meghan Markle appearing in Netflix’s The Gentlemen was raised during an appearance on the Romesh Ranganathan podcast
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Former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Tina Brown had previously claimed Meghan’s casting was pulled following “backlash in the UK.”
Mr Winstone was far from the only member of the cast to react with bemusement to the rumours. In a separate interview, Theo James and Kaya Scodelario appeared equally taken aback by the reports.
Mr James described the speculation as overblown. “Those kind of big, spurious rumours, I mean, I had heard one that Harry was going to join,” he said.
Ms Scodelario initially assumed her co-star was talking about Harry Styles, before Mr James clarified he meant Prince Harry.
Harry and Meghan arrived at Birmingham Airport last month, confirming their decision to relocate permanently
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The mix-up prompted a wry response from Ms Scodelario: “We should just start making ones up. Shows how little I know; I thought he was telling the truth.”
The exchange underscored how far-fetched the cast themselves considered the persistent chatter surrounding the Sussexes and the show.
The speculation stems from the couple’s return to Britain after more than six years in California. Harry and Meghan arrived at Birmingham Airport last month, confirming their decision to relocate permanently.
Since departing Suits in 2018 following her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan’s screen work has been notably scarce. Her sole confirmed project is Close Personal Friends, a forthcoming comedy in which she plays herself.
Ray Winstone made the comments on Romesh Ranganathan’s podcast
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Intense curiosity has surrounded the question of what professional paths the couple might pursue back on British soil. A return to acting for the former Suits star had been among the most widely discussed possibilities, with The Gentlemen emerging as the most prominent rumoured vehicle, until Tina Brown’s assertion that the opportunity had been rescinded amid public opposition.
Their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, have both started at British schools since the family’s arrival.
King Charles has confirmed that the couple will hold the status of private citizens rather than working royals in this new chapter.
The Sussexes are also expected to build a fresh social circle, with figures such as former Royal Marine and television presenter JJ Chalmers and ex-royal nanny Tiggy Pettifer among those reportedly in their orbit.