Meghan Markle’s acting days are coming to an end. The soon-to-be royal is departing Suits at the end of season 7; the final eight episodes of the season are set to premiere on Wednesday, March 28. Markle’s character Rachel Zane is set to marry Mike Ross, played by Patrick J. Adams. Adams will also leave at the end of season 7.
“A lot of times when actors leave shows, a gun gets pulled out in a courtroom or something. Without spoiling too much, yes, I think Mike and Rachel are two characters that there has never been any question that they’re in love and that they’re meant for each other and that they’re willing to go to great lengths and sacrifice a ton in order to keep their relationship going,” Adams, 36, said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about Mike and Rachel’s upcoming nuptials, set to take place in episode 16. “It just so happens that the timing of how I was feeling [about leaving Suits] and what was going on in Meghan’s life created an opportunity where there was no need to force some conflict or tear Mike and Rachel apart. It allowed us to go on to whatever happens next for Mike and Rachel together.”
However, it may not be completely smooth sailing as USA dropped the season 7B trailer on Wednesday, January 31, in which Mike reveals he’s not sure what he wants. It’s unclear if he’s speaking about their relationship.
In November, 36-year-old Markle became engaged to Prince Harry and they’re set to marry in May. However, the onscreen wedding will not include any nods to her upcoming royal nuptials.
“Aaron [Korsh] has always actively avoided any sort of real-life commentary. He actively wanted to keep those two worlds totally separate,” Adams added. “People can draw their own conclusions and comparisons. The last season of Suits has been really special in that we didn’t let anything bleed into our world.”
The show’s creator also released a statement regarding the actors’ departures, thanking both stars for being part of the show since its 2011 premiere.
“I would like to thank Patrick and Meghan for their extraordinary contributions over the last seven years. Not only have they been outstanding in their roles as Mike and Rachel, they are also superb human beings who will always be beloved members of the Suits family, and we wish them well in their days to come,” Korsh said.
Markle also spoke about leaving the show during her first joint TV interview with Harry in November. “I don’t think see it as giving up anything,” she said about leaving her acting job. “I just see it as a change.”
“I had been working on my show for seven years. So we were very, very fortunate to be able to have that sort of longevity on a series,” she continued. “For me, once we hit the 100 episode marker, I thought, you know what, I have ticked this box, and I feel very proud of the work I had done there and now it’s time to work as team with you.”
The last episode for Adams and Markle will be the two-hour finale, set to air on USA on Wednesday, April 25.
