Mike Ross, aka Patrick J. Adams, recently shared his “terrible” first meeting with Mike’s love interest, Rachel Zane, aka Meghan Markle, his co-star from the popular legal drama Suits, in a candid conversation on his podcast, Sidebar: A Suits Watch, which he co-hosts with Sarah Rafferty aka Donna. The legal drama aired from 2011 to 2019.

Their on-screen chemistry became one of the show’s central elements, but according to Adams, their connection was evident long before they began working together on Suits. “Meghan and I had done a pilot before, a terrible, terrible pilot together,” Adams recalled, laughing about the failed project.

“There was a setting up of a romantic relationship in the pilot of that particular pilot too. And then we never saw each other again. The pilot failed. It was terrible and went away. And so we had never seen each other nor spoken to each other again.”

Adams discusses Meghan’s audition for Suits

Adams was the first to be cast in the legal drama, and he participated in chemistry reads with potential actresses for the role of Rachel Zane. During these callbacks, Adams was surprised to see Markle again. “She was right there. And she said, ‘Hi.’ And I went, ‘Oh my god! So good to see you,’” Adams recounted.

He said, “It was pretty clear, if I remember correctly, that she was going to get the part from the minute we did the chemistry read.”

“I think our just knowing each other and just getting to calm down and not have those nerves of just getting to know one another, really helped that chemistry read,” and added, “And it was just clear that we had an easygoing thing when we went into that room.”

Remembering Meghan’s audition Adams remarked, “It was just so much easier than it was with anybody else.” He praised Markle’s performance, both in the audition and later on the show, adding, “She crushed it, and she crushes it in the show.”