By now, most of the world has probably heard of Prince Harryâs soon-to-be bride Meghan Markle. Sheâs an American actor known for her role on the hit TV show âSuitsâ and for her humanitarian work.
Those who have been paying even closer attention to the whirlwind romance will also likely know that sheâs from Los Angeles, she was once married, and she founded a lifestyle blog called âThe Tig.â
Although her life has been put under the microscope now that sheâs set to marry a prince, there still are a few fascinating details about Markle that may surprise you.
Here are 10 things you (probably) didnât know about the future Royal:
1. She was a suitcase model on âDeal or No Dealâ
Before she delivered snappy comebacks as paralegal Rachel Zane on the popular U.S. series âSuits,â Markle was a struggling actor making ends meet with bit parts in various films and shows. One of her more interesting gigs was working for the game show âDeal or No Dealâ as one of the models who hold the famous silver suitcases, which contestants must select to win money.
in 2013, Markle described her one season of working on the show as a âlearning experienceâ in her career.
âIt helped me to understand what I would rather be doing,â she said at the time.
2. Her penmanship is on point
In between her many acting auditions, Markle put her years of handwriting class at an all-girls Catholic school to good use by moonlighting as a professional calligrapher. She has told numerous media about her freelance work writing wedding invitations, including those for Robin Thicke and Paula Pattonâs wedding. She also penned holiday messages to celebrities on behalf of Dolce & Gabbana to make extra cash.
âI think handwritten notes are a lost art form,â in 2016. âThe idea of someone taking the time to put pen to paper is really special."
Markle even impressed Larry King with on his show in 2013 when she wrote âI love Larry Kingâ in curly handwriting on a piece of paper.
3. Markle interned at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina
During her time at Northwestern University, Markle studied theatre and international relations. in 2013, the actor said she applied for an internship at the U.S. Embassy and ended up working in Buenos Aires for a few months.
âI'm 20 years old, in Buenos Aires, in a motorcade, doing that whole thing. I thought for sure I would still have a career in politics,â she said at the time.
Instead, Markle pursued acting when she returned home to Los Angeles after the internship. She does have one thing to show from her time in Buenos Aires; however, she learned to speak Spanish during her stint in Argentina.
4. She challenged traditional gender roles at a young age
Before Markle was inspiring fashion trends and nose jobs, the Royal-to-be was tackling gender equality at the tender age of 11.
During a segment for the popular Nickelodeon show âNick News,â young Markle was interviewed about her reaction to different commercials. for household cleaning and cooking products that were only marketed towards women. She even wrote a letter to Procter & Gamble and convinced them to change one of their commercials for dish soap.
If that wasnât enough, the young Markle also wrote a letter about the sexism in marketing to then-first lady Hillary Clinton who responded with words of encouragement.
5. Meghan isnât her first name
As well known as Markle is now, her real name is less so.
She actually uses her middle name as her first name. The actorâs real name is Rachel Meghan Markle.
Another fun fact? Markle shares the same first name as her beloved character Rachel Zane on the drama âSuits.â
6. Ellen told her to adopt her dog
Markleâs love of dogs, particularly her two rescues Bogart and Guy, is well documented. She adopted her first dog, Bogart, a Lab/Shepherd mix at a rescue shelter back in December 2012 thanks to the involvement of talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
magazine, Markle revealed that DeGeneres pressured her to adopt Bogart after she ran into her at the shelter.
âEllen goes âIs that your dog?â And I said, âNo,â and sheâs like, âYou have to take that dog,ââ she recalled. âSo I brought him home. Because Ellen told me to.ââ
Although she didnât remember the encounter herself, about it during an episode of âThe Ellen Show.â
âShe does whatever I tell her to do,â DeGeneres said. âMeghan, if youâre watching, I have something else to tell you: invite me to that wedding.â
7. Markle grew up on the set of âMarried with Childrenâ
Markle was no stranger to Hollywood before her big break on the hit âSuits.â As a child growing up in Los Angeles, Markle used to spend hours after school visiting her father Thomas W. Markle on the set of the 1980s sitcom âMarried with Childrenâ where he worked as a lighting director.
Like his daughter, Thomas W. Markle had a successful career in television. He won two Emmy Awards for his work on the hit television show âGeneral Hospital.â
8. There was a time she couldnât afford to repair her car
in October 2016, Markle discussed the early days of her career as a struggling actor looking for work. She told the audience that she used to own the âmost beat up, hand-me-down, but awesome Ford Explorer Sportâ that sounded like a âsteam boat engineâ when it started.
When the locking system failed one day, Markle said she couldnât afford to fix the car so she came up with an inventive way to enter and exit her car.
âSo what I would start to do is literally go to these auditions, park at the back of the parking lot and I would open my trunk⌠and crawl into the back of my car to the front seat to drive off to my next audition,â she said. âThis, by the way, went on for five months.â
9. She was the most Googled actor (twice)
Markle has come a long way from moonlighting as a calligrapher and driving her old car from audition to audition to make ends meet. The future Royal was crowned the most Googled actor in 2017 for the second year in a row as interest in her relationship with Prince Harry intensified.
, searches for Markle reached a peak around Nov. 27 when the couple publicly announced their engagement.
She was also ranked second for most Googled people in 2017, right behind Matt Lauer.
10. Markleâs celebrity crush is Dennis Quaid
Long before she found her prince, Markle had eyes for another well-known leading man: Dennis Quaid.
magazine in May 2016, Markle admitted that the 63-year-old movie star was her celebrity crush.
âYouâre going to laugh at who my male celebrity crush is but Iâll never let it go. I love Dennis Quaid! Itâs so random,â she said at the time.