Suits is in its renaissance period, celebrating a fresh surge of relevance more than a decade after it first debuted on USA Network.
The show’s arrival on Netflix prompted a massive surge in interest, resulting in its dominance of Netflix’s top ten for weeks running. I’m not sure the show ever reached these levels of popularity when it was actually on the air, but the combination of a slick and captivating premise and a star-studded cast make Suits an instant winner.
The Suits cast in 2023
During its run on USA Network, Suits faced steep competition in the shape of shows like Game of Thrones, which aired from 2011 to 2019, Shameless, which ran from 2011 to 2021, and American Horror Story, which started the same year and remains on the air. Suits doesn’t share many stylings with its fellow 2011 powerhouses, but it was middle-of-the-road enough — in the face of wild comedies, twisted horrors, and epic fantasies — that it flew right over many viewers’ radars. We’d all heard of Suits, but I never met someone who’d watched it — until recently, that is.
Suits‘ abrupt rise on Netflix is urged on by several factors, but one is undeniably the show’s cast. It sports several massive names, some of whom didn’t make it big until after the show concluded.
Gabriel Macht — Harvey Specter
Largely serving as the “face” of Suits, Gabriel Macht leads the cast as top dog Harvey Specter. Deft, sleek, and unconventional, Macht’s portrayal of Harvey hits all the right notes, and serves as a major factor behind Suits’ staying power.
Following the show’s conclusion — and his deep involvement in its every process, by the end — Macht largely stepped back from acting. He did make an appearance in Pearson, a short-lived Suits spin-off, but he’s far more focused on family life these days. He shares two children with his longtime wife, Jacinda Barrett, and seems perfectly happy to lead a much calmer life than the one Harvey enjoyed.
Patrick Adams — Michael Ross
The second lead in Suits is played to perfection by Patrick Adams. Coming in as the youthful and inexperienced, but unmatched in brilliance, Michael Ross, Adams adds exactly the extra level of drama Suits needed to succeed. He acts wonderfully opposite Macht’s Harvey, and his chemistry with the remainder of the cast showcases how well suited he is to the world of acting.
While Suits was still on the air, Adams was putting all his limited extra time toward additional projects. He appeared in several popular releases, including Orphan Black, Legends of Tomorrow, and Sneaky Pete, during the show’s eight year run, and later branched off into A League of Their Own and Plan B, which came out in 2022 and 2023, respectively. He also flexed his vocal talents in The Swearing Jar, a 2022 romantic musical drama. Between all of these projects, Adams was also starting a family — he and his wife, Troian Bellisario, welcomed two daughters, one in 2018 and another 2021 — and putting time towards his passion for photography and guitar.
Gina Torres — Jessica Pearson
The incredibly talented Gina Torres was popular enough, during her time on Suits, to inspire a short-lived spin-off based around her character. Pearson didn’t make it more than a season, but its mere existence proves just how memorable Jessica Pearson is in the eyes of fans. A brilliant and capable rival, sometimes friend, and perpetual risk-taker, Pearson is easily one of the most engaging characters in Suits.
She’s played to perfection by Torres, who lends a level of sincerity and sternness to every role she takes on. To me, she’ll always be Cas from The Matrix movies and Zoe Washburne from Firefly, but others might also recognize her from more recent releases like 9-1-1: Lone Star or Star Wars: Rebels. She’s even a standout in the world of video games, dominating releases like this year’s Immortals of Aveum.
Meghan Markle — Rachel Zane
She’s easily best known as the Duchess of Sussex these days, but there was a time when Meghan Markle was better known for her stint on Suits. She was a staple of the show’s first seven seasons, after all, playing an aspiring lawyer and daughter to one of the greatest legal minds in the city. She was an easy crowd favorite during her time on the show, and we ancient millennials will remember that shock of recognition when she first started dating Prince Harry.
Rick Hoffman — Louis Litt
Rick Hoffman’s Louis initially butts heads with Harvey in Suits, as his thirst for victory occasionally overshadows his actual love for the law, but the pair’s friendship eventually becomes a vital element of the show. The perfect blend of sly cunning and humor make Louis one of Suits’ most memorable characters, and it’s a style Rock Hoffman is well known for.
Hoffman is best known for his time on The Bernie Mac Show, and for playing familiarly slimy characters in films like The Day After Tomorrow and Cellular. At some point in his decades-long career, it seems Hoffman discovered a love for slashers, based on his recent appearances. You’ll find him nestled among the cast of horror flicks like Hostel and this year’s Thanksgiving.
Katherine Heigl — Samantha Wheeler
Katherine Heigl is among the best known names on this list, but the once-prominent star’s schedule isn’t nearly as packed as it once was. Heigl’s heyday accompanied her stint on Grey’s Anatomy, and saw her star in a slew of blockbuster romcoms. Her early 2000s were absolutely packed, between the aforementioned Shonda Rhymes staple and starring roles in The Ugly Truth, Knocked Up, 27 Dresses, and so many more.
Nearly a decade after she left the cast of Grey’s, Heigl enjoyed a too-short appearance on Suits, as the talented and ambitious Samantha Wheeler, a newcomer in season eight that pushes the show to a delightful new level.
Sarah Rafferty — Donna Paulsen
The story in Suits branches out far beyond the lawyers at the core of its story, zeroing in on various members of their offices and personal lives. Among the most important of these is Donna, Harvey’s former secretary and longtime confidante. She is a perpetual lynchpin of the story, and is played to perfection by Sarah Rafferty of Grey’s Anatomy and Chicago Med fame.
Amanda Schull — Katrina Bennett
Powerful women are a constant in Suits, which is likely a culprit behind the show’s continued popularity. Each of the women in the show play a vital part, and many of them bring brilliant, confident, and uncompromising professionals to life across the show’s nine seasons. Amanda Schull’s Katrina Bennett is among the show’s most commanding characters, which is really no surprise when her history is considered. Schull’s played powerful women throughout her career, first on shows like Suits and Pretty Little Liars and later on 12 Monkeys and 9-1-1: Lone Star.
Dulé Hill — Alex Williams
The final entry on this list is far from the final actor in the Suits lineup, but we could go on for pages about each of the talented actors that appear across the show’s nine seasons. Dulé Hill deserves a special shout-out, despite his relatively short-lived stint on the show, thanks to his brilliant work in bringing Alex Williams to life. He’s only a regular in the show’s last few seasons, but Hill brings the humor and style that helped him dominate in shows like Psych and Ballers to Suits, and quickly establishes himself as one of the best parts of the show.