Meghan Markle is returning to acting for the first time since leaving to marry into the British royal family nearly a decade ago.

The 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex was reportedly spotted on the set of Amazon MGM Studios film Close Personal Friends in Pasadena on Wednesday (local time).

Meghan, who quit acting ahead of her 2018 marriage to Prince Harry, will apparently play herself in the upcoming movie. It also stars Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid, and Henry Golding.

“Meghan was on the set today,” a source told People magazine.

“She has a small part. She seemed very relaxed and happy. She introduced herself to everyone and was very sweet and down-to-earth.”

The Sun broke the news of Meghan’s film role.

“This is a massive moment for Meghan and signifies a return to doing what she truly loves,” a studio source told the British tabloid.

“She has been swamped with offers but this one felt right.

“It is Meghan’s way of gently putting her toe back in the water and seeing how she enjoys being back on set.

“Everyone involved is super-excited, and have been sworn to secrecy about her involvement.

“Prince Harry is, of course, really supportive and quite simply wants Meghan to do whatever brings her joy.”

The movie was confirmed in August, with The Hollywood Reporter saying it is a comedy that follows a couple who befriend a famous couple while visiting Santa Barbara — in itself another connection to Meghan.

She and Harry moved to the Santa Barbara enclave of Montecito after stepping back from their royal roles in 2020. They still live there with children, Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4.

The Sussex family home is about two hours by car from where the set of the new movie.

Meghan Markle on hit TV show Suits. Photo: USA Network

Meghan got her big acting break in TV legal series Suits, while also having small roles in movies Horrible Bosses and Remember Me.

She revealed she was quitting in 2017, just before her engagement to the King’s younger son. There have been reports since, however, that the late Queen Elizabeth II told Meghan she did not have to give up her acting career to become a full-time royal.

“In fairness to the royal family, in fairness to the [late] Queen, she did give them that opportunity to go wherever they pleased,” royal biographer Andrew Morton told Vanity Fair in 2021 in the context of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to quit royal duties.

“Also, they did say to Meghan, ‘If you don’t want to embrace royal duties full time, please be our guest and continue your acting career’. Those opportunities were open to her.”

In 2021, Harry told Oprah Winfrey in the couple’s bombshell tell-all interview, the suggestion came early in their relationship.

“That was right at the beginning when she wasn’t going to get security, when members of my family were suggesting that she carries on acting, because there was not enough money to pay for her, and all this sort of stuff,” he said.

In recent years, Meghan’s on-screen appearances have largely been confined to the couple’s Harry & Meghan Netflix series and her own lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan.

“Being back on set with With Love, Meghan was great because I realised how much I had missed my crew. I love being around a crew,” she has said.

The Sussexes have also produced three other projects with Netflix: A documentary called Heart of Invictus and the docuseries’ Live to Lead and Polo.