Katherine Heigl Will Replace Meghan Markle In The New Series Of Suits

With Meghan Markle leaving her acting career behind to focus solely on her royal duties as soon-to-be wife of Prince Harry, the team at Suits have been looking for a new leading lady to fill her shoes.

Markle, who played the character of Rachel Zane in the hit legal drama for six years, confirmed last year that she would be quitting the show after the seventh season.

‘Meghan knows she can’t really act at the same time as being a princess and is happy to make this career sacrifice. She really enjoys her charity work with UNICEF and will broaden out her charity commitments when she becomes a full-time royal,’ a source told The Daily Star.

Suits fans need not despair because the network have pulled in some alternative star power as a replacement for Markle. It was confirmed yesterday that Katherine Heigl will be joining the cast as the new female lead. The former Grey’s Anatomy star will play Samantha Wheeler, a new partner at the show’s Pearson Specter Litt law firm.

‘Joining Suits was the perfect organic way to not only collaborate with an EP I admire deeply, but to also become part of a show and cast that I am an immense fan of. I have watched Suits from the very beginning and feel incredibly lucky to be the newest member of the Pearson Specter Litt family,’ Heigl said in a statement from USA Network.

Season 8 of Suits is set to start filming in Toronto this April.

See all of Meghan Markle's best outfits in the gallery below