As one of USA Network’s most successful series to date, Suits has gone above and beyond in terms of quality expected from the formerly “blue skies network.” Unafraid to get dark and gritty, while delicately balancing heart and humor alongside the drama, Suits follows the partnership between star lawyer Harvey Specter and fraudulent lawyer Mike Ross.
Over the course of the show’s seven seasons, Mike’s secrets have become made known and writ large, including a jail stint that left viewers everywhere wondering just what could possibly happen next – and if there was anything the series wasn’t willing to do. Yet even with every dramatic decision Suits has made, it’s never once felt like anything was done purely for shock and spectacle.
However, with that being said, there are plenty of shocking things going on behind the scenes that even the most dedicated of Suitors out there may not know about. Whether it has to do with scrapped storylines, relationships between cast members, or casting secrets, Suits has had a whole bunch of secrets hidden away behind its lengthy run.
Here are the 15 Secrets Behind Suits You Had No Idea About.
15. Rick Hoffman’s alleged drunken incident
Louis Litt’s awkward, oftentimes cringe inducing catchphrase on Suits has been “you just got Litt up!” More popular with fans than it ever has been with characters within the series, the saying is just the right balance of cheesy and hokey to work as a catchphrase.
However, in real life, Rick Hoffman, the actor behind Louis, is rumored to have once gotten a little too “lit up” himself at a nightclub.
Video shared with Radar Online in July 2016 purports to show an angry, profanity-laden confrontation between the actor and nightclub security, with onlookers even referring to the actor as his character’s name in the background.
Regardless of whatever happened at the nightclub that night, nothing ever came of this alleged 2016 incident beyond this one eye witness video.
14. Future royalty Meghan Markle was married when the series began
Unless you’ve been hidden away under a rock for the last few months, you likely know that Suits leading lady Meghan Markle, who has played Rachel Zane since the series’ pilot episode, will be marrying Prince Harry in May – and therefore, departing the series at the end of this season because of it.
However, what you may not have realized, among all the glitz and glamour of a new royal wedding, is that when Suits began, Markle was already married to someone else.
From 2011 to 2013, Markle was married to Trevor Engelson, a producer who has worked on various projects including Remember Me, License to Wed, and the forthcoming Heathers television series.
Markle and Engelson had been together since 2004, but in 2013, the longtime couple ultimately called it quits and filed for divorce.
13. Harvey and Zoe Lawford are married in real life
Actors marrying fellow actors is a fairly common occurrence in Hollywood. However, what’s slightly less common, and always more adorable because of that fact, is when actors get to play opposite their spouses in a recurring role.
In the second season of Suits, the series introduced a woman from Harvey’s past – Zoe Lawford – with whom he’d always had a complicated, romantically fraught relationship. It always boiled down to bad timing for the two of them, who clearly cared deeply for one another, but were never able to make it work.
The chemistry between Harvey and Zoe was effortless and natural, sparking off the screen unlike anything else the show had explored. For good reason, it turns out, as Gabriel Macht and Jacinda Barrett have been married for over a decade.
12. Jenna Coleman auditioned for the role of Rachel Zane
Sometimes, actors will reflect on roles they had auditioned for, but ultimately lost out on. Other times, directors and producers will list some of the talent they screened for certain characters, giving fans everywhere the opportunity to wonder what could’ve been.
In extremely rare cases, audition footage will be released or stumbled across on the internet that provides an even more intriguing glimpse at what almost came to be.
In a hard to find video that has been circulating across fansites and YouTube in fits and starts since around 2013, it was revealed that Jenna Coleman once auditioned for the role of paralegal Rachel Zane.
Coleman would of course not get the role, instead going on to star as Doctor Who’s Clara Oswald and Queen Victoria in Victoria. However, making this coincidence all the more amusing is the fact that she herself was once rumored to be romantically linked with Prince Harry.
11. Jessica Pearson was originally a male character
Choosing the right actor or actress for a part can be one of the most difficult parts about bringing a series to life. However, even before that casting choice can be made, production needs to be certain that they have the character itself figured out.
As it turns out, for Suits, a late in the game decision led to the creation of one of the show’s most iconic characters.
Originally, the character of the awesome partner Jessica Pearson was meant to be a man. However, through input from both the network and the creatives behind the scenes, it was determined that the character should be a woman instead.
This, of course, led to the stellar casting of Gina Torres in the power player role, which could provide the show with its strong backbone of female empowerment.
In the long run, the decision couldn’t have been any better, as Jessica Pearson will soon be leading her own spinoff series.
10. Celebrity cameos were included due to the stars being huge fans
Stars: sometimes, they really are just like us– well, sort of. Sometimes, they’re fans of popular television series, just like we are – but unlike us common people, they get the opportunity to have walk on roles in flashy guest spots on those same television shows. Not exactly what we can do, is it?
Big name stars such as Michael Phelps and Charles Barkley have been open about their status as proud Suitors, longtime fans of the show.
As a result of their open fandom behavior, both men – renowned in their respective world of sports – were allowed to have guest appearances in the legal series, as themselves.
Michael Phelps had his guest appearance on the third season episode “Buried Secrets”, while Charles Barkley appeared as himself in the fifth season episode “No Refills”.
9. The show has gotten away with more profanity than any other USA Network show
Given the high stakes of what goes on in Suits, as well as the sort of people the lawyers at Pearson Hardman/Pearson Specter Litt find themselves dealing with on a regular basis, it’s no real surprise that these characters are a bit more loose-lipped than the average character on USA Network.
When Suits began airing in 2011, USA was still operating under their dual brand of Characters Welcome and the title of being a “blue skies network.” Since then, however, the network has opted toward edgier fare, darker and grittier stories with characters who are rougher around the edges.
Yet when it comes to shows that push the limits of what a basic cable show can get away with, Suits is far and away the boldest, with characters now dropping the f-bomb regularly when the moment calls for it.
8. Gabriel Macht hates Harvey’s signature hairstyle
Hairstyles are often a large part of what leads to characters becoming iconic. From The Fonzie to The Rachel, hair can be a big determining factor in how well characters may be remembered down the line.
Sure, Harvey Specter’s signature slicked back hair may be his perpetual style, but there’s no way it’s what makes his character as great as it is. In fact, if leading man Gabriel Macht had his way, that wouldn’t be Harvey’s style at all.
Macht has been open about how much he dislikes Harvey’s suave style – and based on looking at any photo of Macht when he’s not filming the legal drama, you can see that he himself prefers a much more natural look. However, for Harvey’s charming, slick persona, the hair is what it is, and for seven seasons, it’s definitely worked.
7. Patrick J. Adams’ unique Game of Thrones trauma
The Red Wedding: three words that will immediately bring on all the emotions for any Game of Thrones fan, even years removed from the book and episode in which it took place.
As it turns out, everyday devoted Game of Thrones fans aren’t the only ones who were hit hard by the loss of half the Stark family.
Suits leading man Patrick J. Adams felt the weight of that loss pretty strongly himself. During Game of Thrones’ third season, Catelyn Stark herself, Michelle Fairley, was also starring in a recurring role on Suits – and as a result, Adams worked with Fairley quite closely.
As Adams, a self-proclaimed “fangirl” of the series, explained, “I obviously saw the Red Wedding… and it wasn’t just her, but the entire army of the North and it brutalized me and the only thing that got me through was being like, ‘Well, at least I get to go work with Michelle the next morning. That’s the nicest thing about it.’”
6. The mystery of Harvard’s Order of the Coif
The inevitability of Louis learning the truth about Mike’s credentials – or lack thereof – was a crucial plot point in early seasons of Suits. So when the time came for the reveal to take place, it would have to be brought about by something particularly impactful.
Except, when Suits decided to have Louis realize the truth about Mike, they were forced to fabricate a plot device that doesn’t exist in reality.
Louis finally realizes that Mike didn’t attend Harvard Law because Mike does not recognize Louis’ key from Harvard’s Order of the Coif. However, as it turns out, unlike other prestigious law schools, Harvard has never had an Order of the Coif.
So when it came time to reveal the lies and frauds of Suits’ main character, the series, in turn, had to lie about something else. Oops.
5. Patrick J. Adams’ photography is used to decorate the sets
By day, Patrick J. Adams spends his time as Mike Ross, a fraud turned lawyer turned investment banker turned convict turned junior partner.
However, also by day, and sometimes by night, Adams works as a photographer, offering his unique views of daily life under the pseudonym “halfadams.” His photography can be found on his Instagram page in particular. However, as it turns out, you don’t have to look much further than an episode of Suits for the chance to see some of his work.
Adams’ photography is used as set decoration in the USA Network series, particularly in Rachel’s office at the firm. Also, given the fact that Rachel and Mike have become one of the series’ central relationships, it’s an extra sweet little nod to their actors as well.
4. Suits has often been ranked second in most-watched cable series
Game of Thrones has far and away been the most-watched cable series for years now, as its success has been astronomical – and rightly so. However, you may be surprised to learn that Suits has come in second to Game of Thrones time and again.
As recent as summer 2017, when both series aired their seventh seasons, Suits was consistently ranked second in cable TV ratings versus GOT. It has also been voted the second best cable series, once again second only to GOT, in various online polls and rankings, including Buddy TV’s ranking of best new series in 2011.
Making matters all the more amusing is the fact that Game of Thrones and Suits have shared various cast members, with Michelle Fairley and Conleth Hill of Game of Thrones crossing over to recur on the legal drama.
3. The original Daniel Hardman was very different
As we’ve already seen with the concept changes that went into the creation of Jessica Pearson, characters can suddenly undergo dramatic changes at the very last minute.
In the pilot episode of Suits, a scene was originally included that featured a much more amiable Daniel Hardman, played by Victor Garber of Alias and Arrowverse fame.
In this context, Hardman had voluntarily retired recently and remained on good terms with Jessica. However, this scene was cut from the broadcast in the United States, thus paving the way for the inclusion of the antagonistic Daniel Hardman in season 2 of the series.
Making matters more confusing, though, is the fact that this scene was included in foreign broadcasts – and remains included in repeat airings.
2. Meghan Markle’s early career included modeling on Deal or No Deal
Meghan Markle: on screen legal professional, off screen future member of the British royal family, and onetime onscreen Deal or No Deal suitcase spokesmodel.
Markle’s career has spanned various fields and roles, including work in the worlds of freelance calligraphy, modeling, various charitable organizations, and, of course, Hollywood.
However, an early prominent role in her career found her serving as one of the many suitcase holding models on Howie Mandel’s early 2000s game show Deal or No Deal.
Markle’s future roles would, of course, go on to highlight her talents far more than this opportunity did, but it just goes to show you: never judge a book, or a suitcase spokesmodel, by their cover. You never know just how far one person will go in their career and personal lives.
1. Harvey and Donna were never meant to be romantic
Certain relationships develop naturally over the course of a writing project, whether it’s a novel, a film, or a television series. However, in other cases, you can absolutely tell when a relationship was forced to grow inorganically, and most often as a result of fan interference.
In the case of Suits, you can look no further than Harvey and Donna’s cringe-worthy development for the latter sort of relationship. In the early days of the series, showrunner Aaron Korsh repeatedly and adamantly stated that Harvey and Donna were never conceived of as a romantic relationship - not even with Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty having known one another for 20 years.
And yet, over time, their dynamic has veered heavy-handedly into an often one-sided display of affection - arguably to the detriment of the series as a whole.
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What other shocking behind the scenes secrets from Suits do you know about? Let us know in the comments!
