IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Target’s version of 'The Tortured Poets Department' contains two special poems: Read and shop them here

Meet the actors who will play Harry and Meghan in Lifetime's 'Escaping the Palace'

They look an awful lot like the original pair, we think!
/ Source: TODAY
By Randee Dawn

"Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace" now has its Harry and its Meghan, according to Lifetime!

The network, which is set to dramatize the change in circumstances for Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in the new made-for-TV movie, announced Jordan Dean and Sydney Morton as its Harry and Meghan, respectively, on Wednesday.

It also released a photo of the two actors in character (seen here side by side with the originals):

Jordan Dean and Sydney Morton to play Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Lifetime movie
Jordan Dean (as Harry) and Sydney Morton (as Meghan) on the left, and the real Harry and Meghan on the right.Lifetime, Getty Images

In the picture, Morton/Meghan wears a green outfit with her hair in a bun, while Dean/Harry holds her hands as they stand close. Neither is looking at the camera; they seem very wrapped up in one another.

Both actors have a long list of credits. Morton has appeared in shows from "Younger" to "She's Gotta Have It" and "Manifest," while Dean first appeared in 1992's "Jersey Girl" and later in series like "The Punisher" and "Royal Pains."

Casting Meghans and Harrys is second nature to Lifetime. It has already made two other films about the Sussex duo: 2018's "Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance" (starring Parisa Fitz-Henley and Murray Fraser) and 2019's follow-up, "Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal" (starring Tiffany Smith and Charlie Field). Fans had a fun moment in 2019 when Fitz-Henley and Smith shared a selfie together.

According to a news release, the latest film will explore "what really happened inside the palace that drove Harry and Meghan to leave everything behind in order to make a future for themselves and their son Archie.

"The movie will detail Meghan’s growing isolation and sadness, their disappointment that 'The Firm' was not defending them against the press's attacks and Harry’s fear that history would repeat itself and he would not be able to protect his wife and son from the same forces that may have contributed to his mother’s untimely death," the release continued.

This seems to dovetail with the couple's version of events, which they shared with Oprah Winfrey during a much-watched special interview in March.

And it's no surprise that Lifetime chose May 19 as the date to make the casting announcement: It's Harry and Meghan's third anniversary.

"Escaping the Palace" started filming this week, and is expected to premiere in the fall.

Related:

Randee Dawn

Randee Dawn (she/her) is an entertainment journalist and author based in Brooklyn. In addition to writing for TODAY.com, Variety and The Los Angeles Times, her debut novel, Tune in Tomorrow, about a reality TV show run by mythic creatures, published in 2022. She's also the co-author of The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion. When not interviewing the stars or dabbling in speculative fiction, she dreams of the next place she can travel to, or cuddles her Westie. More at RandeeDawn.com.