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Actor Theo James referred to the rumours as ‘impossible’ in reality
Hugh Bonneville, the Downton Abbey star who is playing aristocrat Lord Hawthorne in Netflix's The Gentlemen, has spoken out about the Meghan Markle casting rumours.
The actor took an amused view, calling the reports "a genius piece of marketing by whoever just dreamt up that idea."
The 62-year-old offered his own tongue-in-cheek alternative casting suggestion: "I suggested Nigel Farage; I think that's a great run-up. That would be very good."
Theo James also firmly shut down speculation that the Duchess of Sussex could appear in the third series of The Gentlemen, branding the reports as baseless at the show's season two premiere in London.
The 41-year-old, who leads the hit Netflix crime drama as Duke Eddie Horniman, addressed the widely circulated claims at the premiere.
Reports had suggested the former Suits star held preliminary discussions about returning to acting through a role in Guy Ritchie's series, which would have been her first major acting work since marrying Prince Harry in 2018.
Mr James acknowledged the Duchess would thematically suit the show given her royal connections but was unequivocal in his assessment.
"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."
His castmates were equally dismissive of the Meghan rumours at the premiere event.
Vinnie Jones, who portrays Geoff Seacombe in the series, described the speculation as nothing more than "hot air."
Ray Winstone, who plays criminal patriarch Robert "Bobby" Glass, sidestepped the Meghan question entirely with characteristic dry humour.
"I don't even know if I'm doing (the third season)," the 69-year-old quipped.
The second series of the Guy Ritchie-created show, a spin-off from his film of the same name, launches on Thursday.
Set a year after the events of the first season, the new instalment follows Eddie and Susie Glass, played by Kaya Scodelario, as they extend their criminal enterprise across the Channel to Italy, where they face dangerous power struggles with both Italian and British gangsters.
Several high-profile names have joined the cast for the new run, including Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito and presenter Maya Jama.
Mr James appeared at the London premiere alongside fellow cast members Ms Scodelario, Lovesick star Daniel Ings, and Mr Esposito, as anticipation builds for what promises to be a significantly expanded second chapter.
Speaking to PA at the premiere, Mr James offered a glimpse into Eddie Horniman's trajectory in the new series, describing a character being pulled ever deeper into criminality.
"He's making decisions that will alter him as a man and question his morality, and ultimately push him into an arena of deep darkness which perhaps he'll never come back from," he said.
