Wendell Pierce is a wonderful actor of stage and screen. He’s been a working actor for decades, mixing up his CV with TV, Broadway and film roles. He’s been in everything from Law & Order to Ray Donovan to one of the Twilight movies. He played a recurring character on Suits for many years as well – Robert Zane, the fictional father to then-Meghan Markle’s fictional Rachel Zane. Meghan and Wendell got along really well, and it always seemed like he took an interest in her life and career. Maybe he even offered some professional and personal guidance, advice or mentorship. He seems especially fond of her in a fatherly way, which is funny because Meghan’s actual father is so completely awful. Wendell Pierce has never sold her out. In fact, any opportunity he gets, he’s singing her praises and defending her. That’s what he did on the red carpet at the Tony Awards too:
Wendell Pierce is spilling the details on his most recent reunion with Suits costar Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. While speaking to PEOPLE at the 2024 Tony Awards in New York City on Sunday, June 16, the actor, 60, says the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were “very much in love” when he met up with the pair last year.
“When [Meghan] came into town, she got an award last year, had a chance to say hello and wish she and Prince Harry well and wish the children well,” Pierce tells PEOPLE. “They look very much in love and were very happy, so that’s the most important thing.”
Pierce, who played the father of Meghan’s character Rachel Zane on Suits, says that working with her on the legal drama was “a blast.” He adds that since the show ended in 2019, he has reunited with the Meghan, 42, “a few times.”
“I’ve gotten to see her just a few times since, and we’ve been able to reminisce and so it’s real, we have fond memories of working together,” the Tony Award winner shares.
While discussing the show at the Tony Awards on Sunday, Pierce also shared his reaction to the renewed popularity of Suits on Netflix, after the series broke record-breaking streaming numbers on the streaming service in 2023.
“It did surprise me,” the actor tells PEOPLE. “We finished the show almost eight years ago, and so to have this resurgence is pretty amazing.”
It feels like the whole cast of Suits was surprised by its sudden streaming popularity. I imagine they were also surprised by how little they received in residuals, because actors are really getting f–ked over by their shows becoming massively popular on streaming. But I digress. It makes me so happy that Meghan still makes time for her TV dad, and that he still takes such a fatherly interest in her. I love how we find out months or years after the fact that Meghan and Harry checked in with so-and-so or they made a low-key visit somewhere. It shows that they really are discreet.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- NEW YORK, NY-NOVEMBER 30: Wendell Pierce at the NY premiere of Power Book III: Raising Kanan at The Chelsea Factory in New York City on November 30, 2023. Copyright: xMediaPunchx,Image: 825797377, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/mpi099 / Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – MARCH 16: Erika Woods and boyfriend Wendell Pierce arrive at the 55th Annual NAACP Image Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on March 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 857558481, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Erika Woods, Wendell Pierce, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- 2022 Ripple Of Hope Awards Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: New York, New York, United States When: 06 Dec 2022 Credit: Janet Mayer/startraksphoto.com/Cover Images
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- 2022 Ripple Of Hope Awards Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: New York, New York, United States When: 06 Dec 2022 Credit: Janet Mayer/startraksphoto.com/Cover Images
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- 2022 Ripple Of Hope Awards Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: New York, New York, United States When: 06 Dec 2022 Credit: Janet Mayer/startraksphoto.com/Cover Images
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- 2022 Ripple Of Hope Awards Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: New York, New York, United States When: 06 Dec 2022 Credit: Janet Mayer/startraksphoto.com/Cover Images
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- CBS Fall Schedule Celebration At Paramount Studios Featuring: Wendell Pierce Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 02 May 2024 Credit: Faye’s Vision/Cover Images
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- Celebrities attend 2024 Tony Awards Featuring: Erika Woods, Wendell Pierce Where: New York, New York, United States When: 16 Jun 2024 Credit: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages.com
He is a class act and seems like he genuinely cares about her. I recall him saying, when she was getting married, that she could call on him anytime she needed help, and I believe he meant that.
Can we please have even more of him on TV? 😊
He’s one of the main characters on Elsbeth. Seems that he likes to mix up tv and stage.
The Hub’s and I really enjoyed Elsbeth. It’s different and has a diverse cast, which we very much appreciate. Gotta love the quirky! Can’t be mashed potatoes all the time.
He is doing a few projects ATM and seemingly can’t rent an apartment in Harlem bc of profiling – he did a thread about it on twitter recently – very sad.
And he played Jim Greer on the Jack Ryan show with Mr Emily Blunt playing Ryan for 4/5 years
My absolute favorite portrayal by him is of Bunk Moreland in The Wire. Best tv drama of all time!
No invite to the wedding then?
Aren’t you tired, Ms Hilly?
If you’re referring to whether Wendell Pierce was invited to H&M’s royal wedding, @Aurelia, I heard that he did get an invitation. However, he had a career conflict on that date and couldn’t be there. I’m sure there were others invited who were unable to make it. That’s normal.
She truly has a wonderful circle of friends.. that says something. I don’t think anyone could have predicted or been prepared for the record breaking popularity that Suits has become years later. They may have initially tuned in to see Princess Meghan but they stayed and watched the show in its entirety for the brilliant writers and cast.
Nobody in the press has any idea who they see, how often, what their circle is like. Their moves are amazingly stealth. Which makes the whole narrative of “attention seeking fame whores” so frustrating.
Aw, what a nice thing to say. It says a lot in general that people who actually know and work with Meghan all
Love her and praise her.
Lovely and Suits is such a good show. I’ll rewatch it one day.
I know Wendell Pierce from Treme, where he played Antoine Batiste, a trombone player. He was a serial cheater but otherwise the best character on that show, and I just loved him in it and have come to really getting excited when I see him. He was on Elsbeth and I was so concerned that he might be the “bad guy.” One day I might even watch suits, and it’ll probably be just for him! (I know he was in the wire, and I just couldn’t stick with that show, too much of a bummer for me)
He was also Bunk from the wire. He really plays memorable characters.
There’s an old thread on Reddit where former crew members from Suits, local waiters, baristas, shop attendants etc who had actually met and worked with Meghan and the rest of the cast, comment on just how lovely, kind and respectful Meghan was. Apparently, the entire cast were really friendly and genuinely great too but they all had such nice things to say about Meghan.
That’s different from what the British gutter press, gossip shows and royal commentators are selling their audiences, isn’t it?
They take every opportunity to ask any US celebs about Meghan, to gleefully prove that Meghan has dumped all her Suits co-actors.
Wendell is on of the few who really say something at length about their relationship. The rest of them just want to protect their relationships with Meghan, say sometime jokingly to the effect of, “yeah, I don’t speak to her regularly”, ”I haven’t spoken to her recently”, just to shake them off, avoid further questioning or to protect Meghan.
Then these gossiper well turn those remarks into stories like: “such or such Hollywood star/co-actor/friend has dumped Meghan”, or, if it suits their narrative better at any given time – turn it the other way around, meaning, ”Meghan has dumped (all) her (celebrity) friend(s).”
That broken violin gets boring.
*who really says something ..
I love to hear that they have this core group of friends who feel so protective of them and happy for them. The BM like to make it seem like they’re isolated because they aren’t doing the whole Royal dog and pony show, but I think it’s more they’re frustrated they aren’t socializing for public consumption.
Wendell Pierce is another truly underrated actor and I have liked most of the shows and movies he’s been in. I recently saw him on Elsbeth. It’s great that Meghan has been able to maintain relationships with much of her TV family. Shortly after the Sussexes got married, one of the UK tabloids either misrepresented, misquoted or flat out lied about something he said about Meghan and he quickly set the record straight. His comments about the Sussexes looking very much in love (which is easy for anyone to objectively see) also destroys the derangers’ weekly fever dream of an impending Sussex divorce.
Aww I love this interview. He has been great on Jack Ryan–he’s my favorite character!
I think she sees her Suits people, I think they just keep quiet about it
Great to see Robert Zane having Rachel Zane’s back. Wendell always had the nicest things to say about Meghan, so it pained me when the Derangers tried to badmouth him, and Meghan — by saying she ditched the “Suits” crew, or that she doesn’t talk to them, doesn’t see them, or whatever else their envious minds come up with.
So good to see this spelled out for the gutter press too — not only in the UK, but also in Oz — that is spreading the lie that H&M are on the rocks every other week.
It’s as if Nigeria, as the most recent example, never happened. As if we don’t have eyes, and can see how H&M interact with people, individuals or with a crowd, and with each other. That they’re genuinely lovely, and cute, and empathic, and intelligent.
I saw him in Death of a Salesman on B’way. It was a magnificent performance in a thought-provoking production. I have a real soft spot for him. He was a presenter at the Tonys too, I enjoy the ‘Robert Zane’ of it all, too!!
I was at this event! It was the Ms. Foundation Gala in 2023–the one where the paps chased them after the event. Wendell Pierce was in the VIP reception and then he disappeared right before the event started. I *knew* he was going off to hang out with them in some private green room!!