Meghan Markle’s mentor Bonnie Hammer has dished out details about what the Suits star was really like behind the scenes of her hit show.
Speaking to DailyMail.com about her bestselling book, 15 Lies Women Are Told At Work:… And the Truth We Need To Succeed, the 74-year-old NBCUniversal Vice Chairman revealed that then ‘junior’ cast member Meghan worked her ‘butt off’ during the legal drama’s rehearsals and always asked for help.
The actress, who is now married to Prince Harry and known as the Duchess of Sussex, starred in the USA Network series from 2011 to 2018.
While sharing the uncomfortable truths that women working a nine-to-five lifestyle need to hear to succeed, Bonnie, who is known as the ‘Queen of Cable,’ also lifted the lid on the secrets she gave to her mentee, which helped make the Duchess, 42, the star she is today.
Meghan Markle’s mentor Bonnie Hammer has dished out details about what the Suits star was really like behind the scenes of her hit show (seen with Meghan in 2015)
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Bonnie revealed that then ‘junior’ cast member Meghan worked her ‘butt off’ during rehearsals and always asked for help
After seeing Meghan’s ‘incredible’ worth ethic while she worked tirelessly to become the face of the legal drama, Bonnie took her under her wing.
She recalled the Suits star being constantly willing to learn and always wanting more.
The 74-year-old NBCUniversal Vice Chairman is author of the bestselling book, 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work:… And The Truth We Need To Succeed
‘Megan was incredible. When she worked on Suits and worked on Our Family she absorbed help, she was willing to ask questions,’ the mentor raved to DailyMail.com.
‘She was amazing on staff, but she wasn’t afraid to raise her hand and say, “Can you explain? Can you help me with something if I want to be more than just a young star?”‘
And although Bonnie admitted that Meghan was a ‘junior’ person, she was ‘amazing.’
‘It wasn’t quite an ensemble cast. She was one of the more junior people on the show, and she grew into part of the ensemble because she worked her butt off. She tried hard, asked questions, and had a can-do attitude,’ the business mogul told DailyMail.com.
‘She was very strong, and she was amazing on the show, and again did she absorb what I said. I think she absorbed what anyone and everyone told her that she believed would help her performance or help her do well in that situation. So I give her a lot of credit for that.’
In addition to Suits, Meghan also had a brief stint in Deal Or No Deal and 90210. In 2014, she also started her own blog known as The Tig, in which she shared various aspects of her life that inspired her.
After seeing Meghan’s ‘incredible’ work ethic while she worked tirelessly to become the face of the legal drama, Bonnie took her under her wing (Suits cast seen)
She recalled the Suits star being constantly willing to learn and always wanting more (Bonnie seen alongside Meghan and other women in the hit show in 2014)
She then went on to tie the knot with the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, in 2018.
Following her marriage, Meghan soon found herself in murky waters as tensions with the Royals arose.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex laid bare explosive allegations against the Royal Family in their $100 million docuseries Harry & Meghan with streaming giant Netflix in December of 2022.
Meghan & Harry, directed by Liz Garbus, was the first project to emerge from the multi-year deal the couple signed with the streaming giant back in 2020, shortly after they announced they were stepping down as working members of the Royal Family.
Meghan and Harry used their $100 million deal with the streaming giant to take swipes at the Royal Family and Britain in shows being described as transatlantic ‘TV bombs’ hurled at The Firm.
The privacy-conscious couple handed over a trove of pictures and video from their relationship including the moment Harry proposed in 2017 and filming himself in the VIP lounge at Heathrow as he emigrated in March 2020.
Although Bonnie admitted that Meghan was a ‘junior’ person, she was ‘amazing’ (L-R: Daniel Bryan, Brie Bella, Meghan, Bonnie Hammer, Big Show and Mark Feuerstein in 2015)
In addition to Suits, Meghan also had a brief stint in Deal or No Deal and 90210 before tying the knot to Prince Harry (seen in 2023)
However, it seems that Meghan followed Bonnie’s mentor advice and made it out on the other side as she is now prepping to launch a new cooking and lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard (Meghan and Bonnie seen in 2015 alongside Gina Torres and Sarah Rafferty)
The first three episodes contained a series of barbs that are believed to have upset his father King Charles III, including Harry’s claim that he was ‘literally brought up’ by a ‘second family’ in Africa where he chose to spend three-month stints in his late teens and 20s as he came to terms with his mother’s death.
However, it seems that Meghan followed Bonnie’s mentor advice and made it out on the other side as she is now prepping to launch a new cooking and lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard.
Bonnie also became a mentor to Today Show co-host, Hoda Kotb.
She branded Hoda ‘one of the most genuine, authentic, hardworking, open, and honest humans I have dealt with in this business.’
Both Meghan and Hoda broke out of male-dominated fields and set themselves apart from the men in suits to become role models of the corporate world.
The TV executive explained that in the first seven seconds of meeting someone, they had already made up their mind about what they thought about you.
Bonnie also became a mentor to Today Show co-host, Hoda Kotb. She branded Hoda ‘one of the most genuine, authentic, hardworking, open, and honest humans I have dealt with in this business’
Bonnie’s book 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work: …And the Truth We Need To Succeed is now available for purchase (cable tycoon seen in 2006)
And while Bonnie made sure to emphasize that it wasn’t about beauty or style, she did note that you should make an effort to look ‘put together.’
At the end of her book, Bonnie suggests that both women and men begin embracing change.
Her biggest piece of advice for those who feel uncomfortable with changing circumstances is to embrace it and accept that it’s happening.
‘You can’t stop it. It’s going to happen whether you wanted to or not. So wasting time worrying about it, trying to stop it, pretending it doesn’t exist. It’s just a waste, because it’s going to be there. So the best advice is to figure out a way to embrace it,’ she added.
Bonnie’s book 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work: …And The Truth We Need to Succeed is now available for purchase.
