The Duchess of Sussex’s unexpected hobby earned her an income before she became famous.

Meghan Markle hit her big break in acting in 2011 on Suits (Image: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle had a surprising money-making hobby on the side before she became an actress and member of the Royal Family.

In 2011 Meghan Markle got her big break on Suits but before this success, she had a creative side hustle for extra income.

Meghan Markle revealed a 2013 Esquire interview that she had a talent for calligraphy.

In response to a comment about her “incredible handwriting” Meghan revealed that she had honed the craft when she was in school.

Meghan said: “It was because I went to an all-girls’ Catholic school for like six years during the time when kids actually had handwriting class.”

She shared that she’s “always had a propensity for getting the cursive down pretty well”.

Meghan Markle reportedly has beautifully styled handwriting (Image: Getty Images)

The talent was much more than just a hobby for Meghan and helped her pay the bills.

In the interview, Meghan explained that calligraphy became her “psuedo-waitressing job” during audition processes.

She once even did some invitations for Robin Thicke and Paula Patton’s wedding, she revealed.

This is not her only impressive calligraphy venture, she also did some writing for Dolce & Gabbana’s celebrity correspondence.

She said: “I would sit there with a little white tube sock on my hand so no hand oils got on the card, trying to pay my bills while auditioning.”

Her handwriting can be seen in this condolences book (Image: Getty Images)

Meghan said the calligraphy job is “super-lucrative” because there aren’t many people who take up the niche role.

She said her calligraphy tips are to use fluid strokes which keep the writing authentic to the writer.

Meghan added: “there’s something so incredibly romantic and beautiful” about a man penning a handwritten note to a woman.

But calligraphy isn’t the only form of writing Meghan has enjoyed.

In 2020, Meghan told the Teenager Therapy podcast that writing is a way she manages stress.

She stated: “You have to find certain things that work for you. For me, I think journaling is a really powerful thing.

“It allows me to reflect on where I’ve come from. With that comes a lot of perspective. When you look back on something, it doesn’t seem that big.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry quit their royal roles in 2020 (Image: Getty Images)