The Suits torch has officially been passed from Gabriel Macht to Stephen Amell.
The actors posed alongside each other at the Suits LA premiere hosted at One Universal on Thursday, February 20. Macht, 53, and Amell, 43, looked dapper — seemingly in character as their onscreen lawyers — in dark suits as they posed for the cameras.
While Macht is not fully reprising his role as Harvey Specter from the original Suits iteration, the actor will be making a guest appearance on the new show, which stars Amell as hotshot lawyer Ted Black. Suits (costarring a then-unknown Meghan Markle) aired via the USA Network for nine seasons from 2011 to 2019. After the show came to an end, Macht said that he didn’t think bringing Harvey back was in his future — but that’s since changed.
“I finished up on Suits and felt like we spent enough time with Harvey: nine years, 134 episodes,” the actor explained to Entertainment Weekly in an interview published on Friday, February 21. “We really created such a well-rounded character, and the ensemble was terrific. Look, I am so appreciative and blessed to have been a part of this show, and it’s created a lot of opportunities for me.”
‘Suits LA’ Trailer Teases Return of Harvey Specter
When he said goodbye to Harvey, Macht explained that he was “burying the character” for himself and definitely had no interest in a Suits movie.
“I’m not really interested in doing this. I’m not interested in continuing on,” he continued. “The story is done, and we had a really good ride and all of that.”
A call from creator Aaron Korsh changed things. Initially, Macht was apprehensive because of how it would impact his family life. (Macht shares two kids — Satine, 17, and Luca, 10 — with wife Jacinda Barrett.)
“I’ve been not wanting to go back and act,” he said. “I really have made a strong choice to spend more time with my kids and raise my kids, be here for them, because Suits took a lot out of that.”
Now, Macht is once again donning the expensive suits for Suits LA, thanks to Harvey and Ted’s longtime connection.
A Guide to the Most Star-Studded Celeb Appearances on NBC’s ‘Suits LA’
“I didn’t want to become this character that is known for this one thing,” he explained, before then realizing that he didn’t “want to become an actor auditioning for shows when I’m in my 50s and 60s to make a living.” This financial stability was, in part, why the original Suits went on for nine seasons.
Being “fully transparent,” Macht said that his return to Suits was a “business decision.” He was fully on board after Korsh promised the show would be shot around Macht’s schedule.
“It’s my way of going in there and really supporting this new venture — that’s why I said OK. And he did tell me there’s some really fun bits, and I think we can make it really light and playful, and I think you’ll enjoy it,” he added. “So that’s why I’m going back: At the end of the day, why are you doing this, Gabriel? I’m doing it for the fans.”
