‘I'd be the last to know’: Stars of The Gentlemen react to Meghan reports
It has been almost two weeks since reports emerged that the Duchess of Sussex was in talks for a role in The Gentlemen.
At the world premiere for series two of the Netflix show on Wednesday night, stars including Maya Jama, Hugh Bonneville and Theo James remained tight-lipped about the prospect of Meghan joining the cast.
“It’s fascinating to watch, but ultimately it’s a lot of rumour,” James told BBC News, while Jama said: “I’d be the last person to know!”
The show’s executive producer said he didn't want to say yes or no to the reports about Meghan, but added they were looking forward to “more energy and surprises” to come.
The Gentlemen, a comedy action series about a duke turned drug baron, created by Guy Ritchie, was a major hit when it first dropped in 2024.
The show has officially been greenlit for a third series. Talks with Meghan are understood to be in the early stages, but the details of the discussions and any role she might be offered have not yet been revealed.
Getty ImagesThe drizzle cleared up as stars arrived at Guildhall, with Vinnie Jones, Kaya Scodelario, Joely Richardson and Ray Winstone all in attendance.
When asked about the reports regarding Meghan, Jones said he's heard “only what you have".
But he joked: “We’ve got a lot of pretty women in this. So I’m not sure there’s room for any more.”
"Way above my pay grade," Scodelario said, while Bonneville commented he had “no idea” if there was any truth to the rumours.
"Prince Harry's in it," declared James. "He's playing one of my love interests."
Jama, meanwhile, said that as a newcomer herself to the cast, she had no tips to share with Meghan.
“Oh my God, she’s a seasoned actor. I have no advice for her. She knows what she’s doing,” added Jama.
Ritchie, who also attended the premiere, did not speak to the press. But writer and executive producer Matthew Read told BBC News they were looking forward to "bringing up more energy and surprises in series two and further on in the series”.
Not a no then, I asked.
"I just don't think it's right to speculate at this stage, so I wouldn't like to say yes or no,” he added.
Getty ImagesIn the first series, Eddie Halstead (played by James) inherited his wealthy family's country estate following his father's death, much to the fury of his older brother Freddy. He then discovers the estate is partly being used to grow cannabis for an extremely successful underground drug empire.
This time around, the criminal enterprise is expanding out of the British countryside and into the lush lakeside setting of Italy.
On the second series, James said: "If you're going to do it, you've got to make sure it's better.
"So we worked, I hope, pretty hard to make sure we evolve the world. It was more complex, and we had more character development."
'We've raised the stakes'
That was echoed by Scodelario, who plays one of the show's toughest and most assured characters, Susie Glass. She runs the cannabis farm under the estate's grounds.
"We've really tried to raise the stakes as much as possible," she said. "Some of the episodes take a much darker turn, but we still have the fun and the joy that everyone really liked about it."
Bonneville, another newcomer to the cast for series two, said working with Ritchie was "wonderfully chaotic, but with a great purpose in mind".
The actor, who previously starred in Downton Abbey, also joked there was no difference between the period drama and the criminal underworld of The Gentlemen. "It was exactly the same world," he said.
"No, it was fun to enter this slightly skewed world of the perverted aristocracy up to no good," he added.
"I'm sure it was going on at Downton Abbey, but now the lid is lifted on what really happens in these stately homes."
The Gentlemen series two is released on Netflix on 3 September.