Michelle Buteau reveals her joke about Meghan Markle in her debut special almost got cut for being too risqué
- Michelle Buteau said she's wanted to play Meghan Markle on Netflix's "The Crown" for a long time.
- The comedian previously joked about her desire for the Duchess of Sussex to "let herself go" so Buteau could portray her on the series during her debut Netflix special, "Welcome to Buteaupia."
- She told Insider the segment, which delved into Markle's sex life with Prince Harry, was almost cut since she talks about male genitalia.
- "We weren't going to put that in, but I was like, 'You know what? We got to keep that.' Because since day one I've been talking about it and look who she is now," she said. "It's like, come on."
Michelle Buteau has had her sight set on playing Meghan Markle on Netflix's "The Crown" for a long time, she admitted. But a joke about the Duchess of Sussex in her debut Netflix special was almost cut for being too controversial.
The 43-year-old comedian told Insider Monday that she's thought about being cast as Markle on the historical drama "since day one."
During her debut Netflix special "Welcome to Buteaupia," which premiered in late September, Buteau spoke about her "teeny tiny wish" for Markle to "let herself go." That way, Buteau jokingly said she could play her on "The Crown."
"I'd make 'The Crown' so f---ing edgy. Oh my God, I'd be in the corner of Buckingham Palace getting my hair braided, sucking on a chicken bone, pouring frosé on someone's t----," she told the crowd, also mentioning that she'd like to have a sex scene with Prince Harry.
Buteau told Insider that the joke, which segued into a conversation about male genitalia, was "crossing the line for most of my family members" and almost got cut from the special.
"It's who I am and I am really tired of people shaming me because I like sex. That's ridiculous. And that's another thing that happens when you are a woman and it's like, you're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't," she continued. "Definitely look f---able, but don't talk about it and like it."
"We weren't going to put that in, but I was like, 'You know what? We got to keep that.' Because since day one I've been talking about it and look who she is now," she said. "It's like, come on."
While Buteau has plenty of onscreen experience in projects such as "Always Be My Maybe" and "Someone Great," fans of "The Crown" have many ideas about who they'd like to portray Markle on the series.
After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as "senior members"of the royal family and said they planned to "work to become financially independent" in January, people began to wonder if they'd seek employment.
And since Markle has a background in acting and used to appear on "Suits," which went off the air in September 2019, many have said they hope she'd play herself on future seasons of "The Crown."
The show's fourth season, set to premiere in November, is set in the 1980s. It focuses on when Diana Spencer, Prince Harry's late mother, joins the royal family. So, there's plenty of time to figure out who will play the former actress, since Markle didn't meet Prince Harry until 2016.
There's also a chance that Markle hasn't seen the show, or may not be interested in getting involved.
Royal biographer Robert Lacey told the Radio Times that the royals refuse to watch the historical drama because it hits too close to home.
"Whenever any of them are asked about 'The Crown', they always deny watching it. And that may be because imagination can convey a truth that the facts themselves cannot," he said.