Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were never taken seriously by Hollywood, per an industry boss.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were absent from WME’s star-studded Emmy bash last week, despite Meghan being a client of the leading talent agency.
Now, a Hollywood senior figure has weighed in on Harry and Meghan’s place in the entertainment industry.
Per the Mail, the insider said that the Sussexes “seem to be reaping the kind of ‘schadenfreude with extra venom’ at which the entertainment business excels”.
They continued: “It was only a matter of time before the industry press started taking shots. It’s hard to find anyone with a good word to say for their film and television credibility.”
A Hollywood producer echoed the comment, saying, “I don’t think mainstream Hollywood ever took them seriously. From day one Archewell felt to most industry onlookers more like a brand building exercise than a genuine production operation. Netflix were handing out vanity deals like candy at the time and so everybody just shrugged their shoulders and assumed their company wouldn’t get much done despite the generous backing.”
“But even Harry and Meghan naysayers would have been shocked at how little they’ve actually achieved,” they remarked.
“And in the more austere climate of the industry in 2024 when thousands of people have lost jobs and the entertainment industry economy is struggling, there’s now a genuine dislike and distrust towards them by some,” they concluded.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle founded Archewell Productions in 2020 after stepping down as working royals. The duo signed a deal with Netflix to produce various types of content for the streaming platform. So far, the company has produced Heart of Invictus, Harry & Meghan, Live to Lead. They’re working on two more shows for the platform, one of which will feature the Duke’s favorite sport polo, and the other will be a show about gardening and cooking, led by the Duchess.