The Gentleman star Theo James jokes Prince Harry will play his ‘love interest’ as he addresses Meghan Markle rumours
Theo James joked that Prince Harry is playing one of his ‘love interests’ in The Gentleman after being questioned about Meghan Markle joining the cast.
The 41-year-old star plays Duke Eddie Horniman, who inherits his family’s sprawling country estate only to discover it’s home to a cannabis farm run by the criminal Glass family.
The second season of The Gentlemen, which is created, co-written and executive-produced by Guy Richie, is released on Netflix today (Thursday 3 September).
But while the second season hasn’t even landed yet, it’s the show’s third season that has been hitting headlines lately as it was widely rumoured that Meghan Markle - the Duchess of Sussex - would be joining the cast marking her return to acting.
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The rumours coincided with the Sussex’s returning to the UK and, of course, Markle isn’t new to the world of entertainment having appeared in the hit legal show Suits for years.
But shortly after rumours did the rounds, Tina Brown, the former editor-in-chief of New York Magazine and Vanity Fair had reported that the casting had been 'withdrawn' after a backlash in the UK.
Now the stars of the show, including James, have weighed in on the rumours.
In an interview with ExtraTV, James was asked if he could ‘set the record’ straight when it came to the rumours about Markle and gave a top-notch reply.
“No. Prince Harry is playing one of my love interests,” he said. “So that’s the Meghan Markle thing.”
James has also previously joked that Sarah Ferguson, also known as ‘Fergie’, had been signed up as his love interest.
However, in a more serious comment to the Press Association, he branded the speculation and rumours as just that.
“I think it’s spurious rumours,” he said.
“I think she’d fit in well because she’s actually from part of the royal family.
“But no, I think the practicalities of that are impossible.”
James’ co-star Ray Winestone, who plays Robert ‘Bobby’ Glass in the show, joked: “I don’t even know if I’m doing [the third season].”
Vinnie Jones, who plays Geoff Seacombe in the show, branded the rumours ‘hot air’, while Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville described it as ‘genius marketing’.
The 62-year-old, who is joining the cast as aristocrat Lord Hawthorne, said: “I think it’s a genius piece of marketing by whoever just dreamt up that idea.
“I suggested Nigel Farage – I think that’s a great run-up. That would be very good.”
Meanwhile, Manda Levin, who is the Director of Scripted Series in the UK for Netflix, was a little more cryptic when she was asked about Markle taking on a role in the series in an appearance at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
“All bets are off,” she replied.
The Gentlemen is a spin-off from Ritchie’s blockbuster of the same name, and will feature some new faces for the second series, including Maya Jama.
The upcoming instalment will pick up a year later as Eddie and Susie (played by Skins star Kaya Scodelario) expand their criminal empire to Italy, and are faced with high stakes and power struggles with Italian and British mobsters alike.
Claire Reid