Theo James offered a cheeky response when asked about the speculation that Meghan Markle is in talks to join The Gentlemen.
In an interview with Town & Country published on Sept. 2, James was asked about “a certain ex-royal” joining the Guy Ritchie crime drama for its upcoming third season on Netflix.
“Yes, Fergie is joining. She’ll be playing my love interest,” the actor, 41, quipped, referencing Sarah Ferguson by her nickname.
PEOPLE learned last week that the Duchess of Sussex, 45, is in talks for a role on The Gentlemen, but a deal has yet to be reached.
James told the outlet, “I think that was mainly a lot of hot air.”
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“At the moment, we’re just trying to get as many eyes on season two, and then season three will happen soon,” the actor continued. “But in terms of story, we have the overarching ambition of where we’re going to go. We’re going to expand the world, go to different countries.”
“But in terms of the minutiae, I mean, it’s still very much up in the air,” he added.
During an appearance at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Aug. 26, Manda Levin, Netflix’s scripted chief in the U.K., was cryptic when asked about Meghan’s casting.
“All bets are off,” she replied.
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The show would be Meghan’s biggest on-screen project since leaving Suits, the legal drama she was starring in when she first met Prince Harry in 2016. She left the show ahead of their wedding in 2018.
Even after Meghan and Harry stepped back from their royal roles in 2020 and relocated to California, Meghan didn’t seem interested in a return to acting. “I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not,” she told Variety in a 2022 interview.
However, insiders recently told PEOPLE that Meghan and Harry, 41, had been discussing her return to acting even before talks for The Gentlemen.
While James was joking about Ferguson, 66, joining the show, the former Duchess of York does have a history of major TV cameos. Friends fans will remember she popped up in a scene with Matt LeBlanc’s Joey Tribbiani and Matthew Perry’s Chandler Bing when the hit NBC sitcom filmed “The One With Ross’s Wedding,” a two-part episode, in London.
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Ferguson has been keeping a low profile amid the fallout from her ties to Jeffrey Epstein. However, PEOPLE learned last week that she was returning to England shortly after Meghan and Harry.
Ferguson will be renting a six-bedroom property for around $8,000 per month, PEOPLE understands. The Sun, which was first to report the news, reports that the house is located in the Home Counties surrounding London.
