Royal rumours steal spotlight at 'The Gentlemen' premiere
Speculation that Meghan Markle could join the cast of Netflix crime drama 'The Gentlemen' dominated conversation at the show's season two world premiere on Wednesday, with its stars offering sharply different reactions to the reports.
Reports in late August suggested Markle had been in talks to appear in a potential third season of the series, shortly after she and Prince Harry announced plans to return to Britain following six years in California.
Lead actor Theo James, who plays aristocrat-turned-crime boss Eddie Horniman, said he was "intrigued" by the speculation, while 'Breaking Bad' star Giancarlo Esposito suggested that casting someone with Markle's profile could prove either a major advantage or a drawback.
Hugh Bonneville, who joins the second season, took a more playful view, dismissing the reports as "a genius piece of marketing". The 'Downton Abbey' actor joked that he had suggested Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a role, "but nobody seemed to take an interest".
Subsequent media reports indicated that the proposal involving Markle had been dropped amid what was described as a "backlash" to the speculation. Series co-writer and executive producer Matthew Read, meanwhile, noted that Guy Ritchie had "a great tradition of casting people from unexpected places".
Read said the intense interest surrounding potential cast members also demonstrated how invested audiences had become in the series, which established itself with the success of its debut season in 2024.
The second season returns with Horniman, played by James, seeking to expand his criminal empire a year after inheriting his family's vast estate and aristocratic title. The new episodes explore the consequences of inherited wealth and power.
James, who rose to prominence with his role in 'Divergent', said the season examines what "centuries of landed gentry" and enormous inherited wealth can do to a person. Horniman, he said, is increasingly discovering the power that violence can provide. "(Horniman) is beginning to realise that violence begets some sense of power, and he's willing to enact violence to get where he wants to be," James said.
The new season was filmed at locations including Italy's Lake Maggiore and sees Horniman join forces with drug empire heiress Susie Glass and her father Bobby, played by veteran crime-film actor Ray Winstone.
Winstone said the series has particular resonance because it deliberately blurs the boundaries between organised crime and Britain's establishment, questioning where criminal power begins and privilege ends. "Who are the gangsters? Is it really the kid out of the street or is it the hierarchy, the gentry? Because how did they get there in the first place?" Winstone said. "It's like turning the tables a little bit."
The second season also introduces several new cast members, including '365 Days' star Michele Morrone, 'The Leopard' actor Benedetta Porcaroli and British television presenter Maya Jama.
James joked that newcomers had to be prepared for Ritchie's unconventional directing methods, warning them that the finished performance could bear little resemblance to the written script. "We always say ... imagine you have a script and then burn it, because you're never going to be saying a single one of those lines," James said, describing the unpredictable nature of working with the filmmaker.
Bonneville similarly described Ritchie's approach as "maverick and bonkers", while Esposito said the director's methods brought an element of "danger" to the production. "Well, that is showbiz, and it's a wonderful thing," Esposito said.
The Markle speculation comes as attention also turns to Harry and Meghan's planned return to Britain. Harry and Meghan announced plans to leave the United States after six years in California, where they relocated following their decision to step back from royal duties.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was "happy" the Duke and Duchess of Sussex planned to leave California and relocate to Britain. Asked about their announcement in the Oval Office, Trump said he had not been a fan of the couple and criticised what he described as their treatment of the British royal family. "I thought they treated the royal family with great disrespect. I didn't like it," Trump said. "If I were the royal family, I would not have taken them back."
'The Gentlemen' season two was released on Netflix on Thursday.