Better call Harvey Specter? Gabriel Macht answers the call for 'Suits LA'

Not each heroes deterioration capes. This 1 is an impeccably dressed lawyer who is often equipped with a tumbler of whiskey. And the caller “Suits” spin-off has called him backmost for duty.

When NBC announced that it was capitalizing connected the occurrence of the glossy ineligible play — which concluded its USA Network tally astir six years agone but became the astir streamed amusement of 2023 with its accomplishment connected Netflix — with “Suits LA,” a Los Angeles-set spin-off revolving astir a caller radical of ambitious lawyers and their dealings wrong the amusement industry, creator and showrunnner Aaron Korsh kept immoderate plans for appearances by characters from the archetypal bid much tightly nether wraps than the logistics of the mysterious tin opener ritual.

Rather than play the odds, helium played the antheral and got Gabriel Macht to play Harvey Specter again.

Across 9 seasons and 134 episodes, Macht took viewers connected the smug but charming firm attorney’s travel of affectional and idiosyncratic maturation arsenic helium teamed up with — for much astir of the show’s tally — wayward genius Mike (Patrick J. Adams), whom helium hired to beryllium his subordinate adjacent though the young antheral had ne'er attended instrumentality school. Between cases, Harvey confronted his demons and by the series’ 2019 finale was a joined antheral headed to Seattle to reunite with his sidekick to bash immoderate ineligible bully for the small guys. (Macht, meanwhile, intentionally stepped distant from acting to absorption connected his household erstwhile the bid wrapped.)

Now, it’s aboriginal March and Macht’s connected the acceptable of “Suits LA” connected the NBCUniversal batch putting the finishing touches connected his three-episode arc, which was crammed into astir a week of filming: “I truly thought I was shutting the doorway connected this quality astatine the extremity of the original,” says Macht, with a acceptable of dark-framed glasses the lone happening distinguishing him from his quality during a break.

Harvey’s arc chiefly occurs successful flashbacks circa 2010, establishing his relationship with “Suits LA” frontman Ted Black (Stephen Amell) astir the clip the second was wrapped up successful a lawsuit involving notorious mobster John Pellegrini (Anthony Azizi) that yet triggered his determination to the West Coast. Ted was prosecuting national cases for the U.S. attorney’s bureau successful New York City and connected a ngo to enactment the mafioso — who utilized assorted intimidation tactics connected Ted, including extorting Ted’s corrupt begetter (Matt Letscher) and inadvertently having Ted’s member (Carson A. Egan) killed — down bars; Harvey worked successful the territory attorney’s office. Later, erstwhile the execution lawsuit fell apart, Harvey, who by this clip was moving successful the firm sector, clandestinely helped Ted convict Pellegrini connected racketeering charges. But with the transgression acceptable to beryllium released from situation successful the contiguous day, Harvey makes a travel to L.A. to rally Ted truthful they tin get Pellegrini backmost down bars. The arc concluded with Sunday’s episode, titled “Bat Signal,” which finds the dynamic duo successful New York City to (successfully) execute their plan.

But is this the past viewers volition spot of Harvey Specter? Macht has learned not to accidental nary to anything.

“Look, if everything fails successful my life, I deliberation I tin spell to Times Square, enactment connected the suit and conscionable airs for pictures, maybe?” helium says with a wide grin arsenic helium ambles his mode backmost to sprout a country successful the present-day timeline.

Like the Naked Cowboy?

“Yeah, I’ll beryllium close adjacent to him.”

The Times checked successful with Macht a fewer weeks aboriginal implicit a video telephone to sermon the reprising of his character. Here are excerpts from the conversation.

Gabriel Macht reprises his “Suits” quality Harvey Specter for NBC’s spin-off “Suits LA.”

(Nicole Weingart/NBC)

Since the resurgence of “Suits,” you’ve been asked astir reprising your relation for a revival oregon adjacent a movie of the OG series. You’ve mostly had immoderate playful responses quashing the likelihood of that happening. What was the archetypal reluctance and however did this mode go appealing for you?

When I was finished with “Suits,” I was acceptable to beryllium done. I consciousness similar we told those stories and we truly stuck the landing. We near with integrity. At that clip successful my idiosyncratic life, I was acceptable to beryllium done and determination connected and absorption connected antithetic things. I wanted to question the world, and I wanted to capable up the daddy well, and, you know, truly walk clip with my kids and marque up for mislaid time. That was truly the focus. That’s wherever possibly those responses [came from]. Jump a fewer years, erstwhile Netflix picked it up, it dominated the viewership successful truthful galore ways that it conscionable felt similar it was benignant of bigger than anyone could truly recognize and imagine. I’m seeing that there’s a caller generation. Who knows, determination mightiness beryllium a “Suits: The Musical” connected Broadway successful 20 years. It created a clump of opportunities for a batch of the players from the archetypal show. And erstwhile Aaron [Korsh, the creator and showrunner of some series] came to maine and said [mimics Korsh’s pitchy voice], “Hey, I cognize you haven’t wanted to get backmost successful this … ,” I said, “What is it? What’s the story?” All I was funny successful was however helium was doing and how’s the amusement going and enactment the show. He said, “Look, there’s a quality that mightiness person been friends with Ted, and I tin marque his sanction successful the publication Harvey, if you’d beryllium consenting to see ...”

And implicit the adjacent days, I started to deliberation astir the fans and however overmuch the fans are truly truthful committed to this show. That was my archetypal instinct ... if they tin marque it happen, I privation to bash it for the fans.

Did it instrumentality immoderate clip for you to consciousness similar you were locked in? We don’t spot Harvey successful a suit close distant and I would ideate that’s what helps you get there.

It benignant of was similar riding a bike, especially erstwhile you enactment the suit on. Aaron has this mode of penning wherever he’s got a batch of treble negatives. They gave maine 1 oregon 2 speeches wherever I had to get into that dynamic and I was like, “Oh, my God, I’m gonna person a panic attack. This is not wherefore I came back.”

On acceptable you mentioned that the shot scenes were changeable astatine Rancho Park, which is wherever you utilized to signifier for your precocious schoolhouse shot team. That indispensable person felt similar a surreal, full-circle infinitesimal to beryllium coming backmost to this seminal quality successful your vocation portion returning to a spot that had meaning successful existent life.

It was nostalgic successful truthful galore ways. I played up until my freshman twelvemonth of precocious school. They enactment maine connected the bench. I didn’t truly play that much. I loved shot and I inactive emotion baseball, but I was like, “Oh, God, I should truly beryllium reasoning astir my future. Maybe I should spell into the play people oregon something.” They happened astatine the aforesaid time, truthful I tin either bash shot each time oregon bash play and acting.

Going backmost to Rancho Park and being successful a uniform, playing shortstop, and really seeing my dada [actor Stephen Macht, who had a recurring relation successful “Suits”] travel retired was nice. I said, “Dad, I’m shooting astatine Rancho, if you privation to travel and visit.” He comes retired and he’s sitting successful the stands; seemingly helium asked them, “Where’s Gabriel?” And idiosyncratic was like, “Who are you?” And he’s like, “I’m his father!” It brought him close backmost to erstwhile I was successful precocious schoolhouse oregon small league. And they’re like, “Oh, he’s playing shortstop.” He’s been successful the concern 50 years. And helium was like, “Well, when’s the crippled starting?” It was a existent infinitesimal for maine to spot him successful the stands. During 1 of the takes, I was like, “Dad, you’re sitting with background, you’re similar an other close now. Go down video village! You tin ticker the country there.” It was a full-circle infinitesimal for us.

Gabriel Macht, left, arsenic Harvey Specter and Sarah Rafferty arsenic Donna Paulsen successful the 2019 bid finale of “Suits.” (Shane Mahood / USA Network / NBCUniversal)

Patrick J. Adams, left, arsenic Mike Ross and Gabriel Macht arsenic Harvey Specter successful a Season 2 country from “Suits” (Steve Wilkie / USA Network)

When it was announced that you were returning, it rapidly became wide that 1 of the cardinal cameos fans were anticipating with your instrumentality is Harvey’s wedding band. The Darvey shippers, myself included, wanted immoderate assurance that Aaron did not messiness with their favourite TV couple. Did you spot immoderate of that? And were you funny wherever Harvey would beryllium astatine successful life?

Yes, I was funny to spot what it was and what was going to hap and what the storyline is; it could person gone successful truthful galore antithetic directions. There’s nary notation that they’re joined and inactive together, but determination is simply a notation that there’s a child. I was moved by that moment. I was moved erstwhile I work it, I was like, “Oh, that’s cool.” I said “Guys, successful the flashbacks, evidently I don’t person a ring, but I deliberation I should person a ringing for the contiguous time.” And they were like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” So, that’s however we fundamentally said that this [Harvey-Donna] narration is inactive continuing. It was a bully moment. It was a truly bully moment. Now wherefore we ne'er mentioned anyone with the sanction Ted successful 134 episodes [of “Suits”], but these guys are truly large friends and helium names his lad aft him ...

Wait. Do you deliberation helium truly named their lad aft him? I thought helium was conscionable teasing.

I deliberation helium [Harvey] was conscionable playing with him [Ted]. But you ne'er cognize with Harvey; helium keeps truthful galore things adjacent to the chest. He could person truly connected with him years ago. With television, with characters, you don’t know.

I person to say, I ever thought Harvey would beryllium a miss dad. Maybe they person a girl who conscionable can’t substance yet. My niece loves doing the dependable to substance connected different people’s devices.

That’s precise possible. Maybe helium has a miss who’s of the property of texting but doesn’t person a phone? We don’t springiness our girl a phone.

Fans connected the amusement cognize that Harvey mislaid some his parents. With his quality connected “Suits LA,” we larn his lone sibling, Marcus, has passed successful the clip since. [Actor Billy Miller, who portrayed Marcus, died successful 2023.]Have you asked Aaron wherefore he has made Harvey endure truthful overmuch symptom and loss? Can we person immoderate assurance that Harvey is astatine slightest going to the doc and getting himself checked out?

That’s a bully question. How bash I reply this? The quality successful maine says, look, there’s tons of nonaccomplishment successful in our lives and humans spell done nonaccomplishment each day. There’s ever been a existent consciousness of abandonment issues that Harvey has had passim his life, and I deliberation that that has been a melodramatic instrumentality that has been helped by penning for that. I don’t deliberation Harvey truly plays a victim, but I deliberation it’s a mode to consciousness for him. If you look astatine immoderate Disney movie, the parents dice wrong 5 seconds and that’s to get you connected the hook of feeling similar you gotta consciousness for this character.

Gabriel Macht, left, arsenic Harvey Specter and Stephen Amell arsenic Ted Black successful “Suits LA.”

(Nicole Weingart / NBC)

I cognize it was little and we don’t get excessively overmuch of present-day Harvey, but what was it similar playing Harvey astatine this signifier of his beingness and this signifier successful your life?

It was fun. He’s a small spot much settled. He’s a small spot much successful interaction with himself. He likes to inactive instrumentality the piss retired of his friends and the radical that are adjacent to him. But what we emotion astir Harvey is his consciousness of what’s close and making things close and his loyalty and his heart. There’s plentifulness of times he’s playing with the system. I deliberation he’s doing what’s best. That was bully to play and conscionable to beryllium successful in interaction with that.

It’s absorbing due to the fact that there’s galore versions of Harvey that I’m not a instrumentality of and that I’m not brainsick astir and that I don’t similar to prosecute successful oregon support. I don’t similar supporting the narcissistic elements of him. I don’t similar supporting the aggressive, toxic masculinity that Harvey has successful his toolbox. In these past six years, I person done a batch of enactment connected myself and conscionable seeing, what are the behaviors of Harvey that bash align with me? There’s elements of behaviour where, arsenic the histrion and arsenic the character, you’re having to bushed radical down and manipulate and usage truthful galore antagonistic behaviors that don’t align with me, oregon much so, align with the kid successful me, that I person been keenly alert that I request thin to.

What worked good for Harvey was my [inner] child. So, to beryllium capable to dismantle that oregon observe each the behaviors of the kid — digging his heels successful and saying, “This is what I need! This is however to bash it!” — that selfish, benignant of narcissistic coping mechanisms that you marque arsenic a kid, that’s the enactment to beryllium done [on myself] to determination away from him. I’d emotion to spot a documentary wherever idiosyncratic takes characters wherever the actors person truly lived successful their shoes for truthful agelong that they go them successful antithetic ways, and however bash they shingle them astatine the extremity of the time and travel backmost to themselves? I deliberation it’d beryllium truly absorbing

Could you spot a time erstwhile you see doing different TV bid oregon returning to the screen?

I’m mode much funny close present successful this concern that I’m doing with Bear Fight Whiskey. The tiny communicative stories wherever I tin beryllium originative are wherever my bosom is close now. A tv amusement is simply a large commitment. You’re fundamentally owned by the amusement and the web and the stories and you truly person to springiness up truthful overmuch of your life. Maybe erstwhile my kids spell to assemblage oregon whatever, and there’s much clip successful my beingness that I tin give to that.

Your friends and “Suits” co-stars, Sarah Rafferty and Patrick J. Adams, precocious wrapped re-watching the archetypal play connected their podcast. They’re connected hiatus now, but bash you deliberation you’ll ever halt by arsenic a guest? I request you connected this podcast.

At immoderate point, yeah. I don’t cognize when. The stars person to align. I deliberation they’re doing large and I deliberation they’re truly enjoying it. I don’t cognize however I would spell connected determination and speech — I person a atrocious representation arsenic it is. I bash not cognize if I would travel successful with overmuch substance. I’ve seen clips [of “Suits”] present and determination and I’m like, “I said that? I person nary idea! I person nary recollection of that!”

I bash consciousness similar Harvey has immoderate explaining to bash with Mike for utilizing the full Batman happening with Ted.

I deliberation you’re right. You person to spell aft Aaron. He thought it was a small excessively meta and excessively overmuch of a wink to the audience, but I’ll archer you, we said “Green Arrow” and “The Spirit.” [Amell played Oliver Queen successful the CW’s “Arrow” and Macht portrayed the rubric quality successful Frank Miller’s 2008 movie adaptation of Will Eisner’s “The Spirit.”] There’s a mentation of that that would person been gold, but [Aaron’s] a Batman guy, truthful you got to conscionable accidental what’s connected the leafage sometimes.

You grew up here. What’s the L.A. spot Gabriel would archer Harvey to visit?

Marty’s. I’m telling you, Marty’s burgers — it’s close adjacent Rancho Park. It’s a greasy spoon. It’s the location of the combo. It’s wherever I utilized to devour each the time. I’m a vegetarian now, truthful I can’t spell backmost determination and devour there, but Harvey could.