Critics pan Meghan Markle’s work in ‘Elephant’ as ‘shallow’

Meghan Markle can’t catch a break. The reviews of her first acting job post-royal duties range from mediocre to downright scathing. Markle, 38, is the voice narrator for Disney’s Elephant, a documentary that follows the journey of 50-year-old Gaia, an African elephant, and her herd across the Kalahari Desert. While the documentary -- which is available starting April 3 on Disney+ -- is geared towards a younger audience, Markle’s performance is being dubbed as “cheesy” and “shallow.”Elephant was directed by Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield and Vanessa Berlowitz, all of whom have reportedly worked on David Attenborough’s highly acclaimed Planet Earth. But it seems they’ve missed the mark with Elephant. [video_embed id='-1']RELATED: Meghan Markle shares her secret to being happy[/video_embed]Owen Glieberman of Variety called the documentary dry, describing the Suits actress’s narration as “an inviting version of the wholesome but amused Disney narrator singsong,” and that it “hits the right notes but feels less majestic than the creatures it’s about.” Meanwhile, The Times said the “Duchess of Sussex is swapping pomp and circumstance for schmaltz and cheesiness.” A far cry from her Suits days but this seems in line with Ian Freer of Empire who said Markle was “over-eager to please.” He did note that she “still managed to stay on the right side of annoying.” So, there’s that.Despite this being the Duchess’s first official job after she and Prince Harry resigned from Royal Family duties, she isn’t getting paid a dime. Instead, she and Harry are donating to Elephants Without Borders, a charitable organization that focuses on the protection of elephants from poachers. In September, Prince Harry partnered with the conservationist group to reforest the Chobe nature and culture site along the river.

 

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EWB’s Foster a Forest initiative’s first big event was a cracking success with HRH Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex digging in the dirt to help us and 250 children & youth across Chobe District come together to plant indigenous trees to reforest the Chobe Nature & Culture site along the river! The Chobe Scouts assisted the Duke to plant an iconic Baobab! More pics and info to share coming... #royalsussex #dukeofsussex #planttrees #climatechange #environment #coolearthaction #chobe #thisischibe #elephantswithoutborders #environmentaleducation #connecttoearth

A post shared by Elephants Without Borders (@elephantswithoutborders) on Sep 29, 2019 at 1:57pm PDT

According to a video obtained by the Daily Mail, Markle landed the narration job with a little help from her husband. At the London premiere of The Lion King last year, Harry was seen chatting it up with Disney’s then-CEO Bob Iger. In the video, the Prince points to his wife and says, “You do know she does voiceovers?” “Ah, I did not know that,” Iger replied. Harry went on to say, “She’s really interested,” at which point, the Hollywood mogul said, “We’d love to try. That’s a great idea.” Apparently, it really is who you know in showbiz.Despite the setback, the new mom still has plans for her royal-free future. She and Harry plan to launch a non-profit organization which will centre around mental health, conservation, gender equality and education. The Duchess also hopes to release a second cookbook and restart her lifestyle blog, The Tig, which she had to give up when she joined the Royal Family.[video_embed id='-1']BEFORE YOU GO: Mom fist bumping with baby causes hilarious giggle fit[/video_embed]