When she was only 13 years old, Meghan started a humble job selling frozen yogurt at a shop in California called Humphrey Yogart. It was where she met one of her idols for the first time, Baywatch actress Yasmine Bleeth, in the parking lot of the shop. This experience shaped how she now interacts with fans.

According to her former boss at the shop, Meghan was unsurprisingly very outgoing and popular with the customers.

In 2006, Meghan took on the role of a “briefcase girl” on Deal or No Deal, where she would wear matching outfits with a group of ladies and hold numbered suitcases out. Contestants in the show had to guess which briefcase held a million dollars.

While she reportedly earned about $800 per episode, Meghan has said that she did not enjoy this role and that it only helped her to learn what she did not want to do.

Check out the clip below:

As a child, Meghan managed to master cursive writing which she later used as an adult to support herself. She did freelance calligraphy while also auditioning so that she could pay her bills. In her time freelancing, she was engaged by high-profile clients such as Dolce & Gabbana, and designed wedding invitations for Robin Thicke and Paula Patton.

Here’s a peek at Meghan’s beautiful handwriting:

Meghan Markle has a talent with her elegant use of Calligraphy – but it is tricky for us Graphologists! What do you think? pic.twitter.com/rcE5jZsE9O

— Graphology (@BAOGraphology) 3 December 2017

With all her skills at calligraphy, it’s no surprise that Meghan wanted to pass on her talent. In-between acting auditions, the budding actress also used to teach two hour classes on calligraphy at a stationary shop in Beverly Hills, Paper Source from 2004 to 2005. She also taught classes on book binding and gift wrapping.

She spoke out on her love for handwritten notes on her former blog, “I think handwritten notes are a lost art form. When I booked my first [TV] pilot, my dad wrote me a letter that I still have. The idea of someone taking the time to put pen to paper is really special.”

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Jobs in the food industry are pretty common when you’re just starting out as an actor and need to supplement your income. It would seem that this part of acting has not escaped Meghan.

In fact, the Duchess of Sussex once worked as a hostess at a restaurant to supplement her finances as she was going for auditions. No word on which particular restaurant though. 

Meghan also volunteered at Hippie Kitchen, a soup kitchen in Los Angeles, where she served food and cleared tables.

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Did you know that the Duchess of Sussex once ran a lifestyle blog? She created The Tig in 2014,  where she wrote on different topics ranging from food to fashion, travel and beauty, as well as personality profiles of women who inspire her. It’s estimated that Meghan earned about US$80,000 (about S$110,000) a year from her blog. 

However, in 2017, seven months before the announcement of her engagement, Meghan shut down The Tig presumably to focus on her new royal duties.

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In 2009, Meghan starred in a Tostitos commercial. In the video, the then-28-year-old can be seen wandering the aisles of a grocery store. She ponders the ingredients of different chip brands before she lands on Tositos which she says has only three ingredients.

This ad was really well-received and we can totally see why. Watch the commercial for yourself below:

In 2016, Meghan created two capsule collections with Canadian retailer Reitmans. She worked hard on the design, prints and everything in between. The first was a collection of four beautiful spring dresses which each cost less than $100!

She wrote on her now-defunct blog The Tig, “I conceived the dress capsule as four distinct pieces that you could have in your closet, or throw in your suitcase and be confident and covered for any event this spring. I toiled over design and print, I shared my thoughts on everything (come on guys, you know I’m opinionated), and I ended up with a limited collection of pieces that reflect facets of my personal style that I think (hope, pray, hold-my-breath-and-wait-for-the-comments-on-Insta), that you’ll love.”

Her second collection was released in November 2016, and featured five mix-and-match workwear pieces in timeless colours of white, gray and black hues. She reveals that this collection is “an accurate reflection” of her personal style and the style of her character on Suits. 

Which brings us to our next point…

While Meghan has been in over 20 television shows and appeared in eight films, but her big break was the role of feisty paralegal Rachel Zane on the hit legal drama, Suits. The series, which has run for nine seasons, started in 2011. Meghan however, left the show after season seven and quit acting altogether in order to prepare for her new life as a royal. 

While in university, where Meghan did a double major in theatre and international studies, she flew to Buenos Aires for a six-week internship at the American embassy there. The then-20-year-old worked as a junior press officer, but reportedly failed the foreign service test. Well, she’s now an ambassador to Commonwealth countries around the world, and we definitely think her time in Argentina helped shape who she is today.

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