It is the casting rumour that has taken on a life of its own — but if Theo James is to be believed, Meghan Markle's reported flirtation with a role in The Gentlemen is very much dead in the water.
Speaking at the London premiere for the show's eagerly awaited second series, James addressed speculation that the Duchess of Sussex had been in preliminary talks to join Guy Ritchie's Netflix crime drama for its third season. His verdict was blunt.
"I think it's spurious rumours. I think she'd fit in well because she's actually from part of the royal family. But no, I think the practicalities of that are impossible."
A Rumour That Refuses to Die
Reports of Meghan's potential involvement first emerged at the end of August, shortly after she and the Duke of Sussex announced plans to return to the United Kingdom. The prospect of the former Suits actress making her big screen comeback in a Guy Ritchie gangster drama immediately set the internet ablaze — and prompted a flurry of rather divided opinions from those who actually work on the show.
Former Vanity Fair and New York Magazine editor-in-chief Tina Brown claimed last week that any offer had since been withdrawn following a wave of backlash against the idea. A Netflix executive added further intrigue when asked directly about the reports, offering only: "All bets are off."
A role in the project would have marked Meghan's first major acting performance since her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018.
The Cast Have Their Say
James was far from the only member of the Gentlemen family to weigh in on the furore. Ray Winstone, who plays the formidable Bobby Glass — the head of Eddie's cannabis empire — took a rather more noncommittal line. "I don't even know if I'm doing the third season," the 69-year-old quipped.
Vinnie Jones, who plays Geoff Seacombe in the show, dismissed the chatter as "hot air", while Hugh Bonneville — who joins the second series as aristocrat Lord Hawthorne — offered perhaps the most wryly amused take of the lot.
"I think it's a genius piece of marketing by whoever just dreamt up that idea. I suggested Nigel Farage — I think that's a great run-up. That would be very good."
The Downton Abbey star was reportedly rather more diplomatic in a separate interview, where he suggested Keir Starmer for the role instead, adding that "apparently no one showed any interest."
Giancarlo Esposito, the Breaking Bad star also joining the cast, offered a more measured view, noting that someone with Meghan's level of public profile could be "both a huge plus and a huge minus."
Series co-writer and executive producer Matthew Read struck a diplomatic tone, noting that Ritchie has "a wonderful tradition of inviting people from unexpected places," and that the sheer volume of interest in potential cast members demonstrates how passionately audiences feel about the show.
What to Expect From Season Two
Casting controversies aside, the second series of The Gentlemen — which arrives on Netflix this Thursday — promises to be a suitably kinetic affair. The new instalment picks up a year on from season one, with James's Duke Eddie Horniman expanding his criminal empire into Italy, navigating treacherous power struggles with both Italian and British mobsters.
James, who first rose to prominence through the Divergent film trilogy, spoke candidly about the moral deterioration at the heart of his character's arc. "He's making decisions that will alter him as a man and question his morality, and ultimately push him into an arena of deep darkness — which perhaps he'll never come back from," the 41-year-old said. "Now he's a man who is flirting with immorality in the face of trying to get everything that he wants. And with immorality comes the loss of soul and how that affects a person."
New faces joining the cast include Maya Jama, 365 Days star Michele Morrone, and The Leopard actress Benedetta Porcaroli, alongside Bonneville and Esposito. Filming took in glamorous locations including Italy's Lake Maggiore — a rather more picturesque backdrop than the English countryside cannabis empire of season one.
As for Meghan Markle? For now at least, her return to acting — if and when it comes — will apparently be happening somewhere other than Guy Ritchie's criminal underworld.