Summary

• Suits had an unexpected resurgence on streaming services in 2023, surpassing big-budget series in viewership.
• Meghan Markle was married before Suits, and her on-screen castmates Gabriel Macht and Jacinda Barrett are married in real life.
• Celebrity cameos like Michael Phelps and Charles Barkley were inspired by the stars' genuine love for the show.

As one of USA Network's most successful series to date, Suits has gone above and beyond in terms of quality, but that wasn't without some surprising Suits behind-the-scenes facts. Unafraid to get dark and gritty, while delicately balancing heart and humor alongside drama, Suits follows the partnership between star lawyer Harvey Specter and fraudulent lawyer Mike Ross. Throughout the show's seven seasons, Mike's secrets have become made known and writ large, including a jail stint. Yet, even with every dramatic decision Suits has made, it's never once felt like anything was done purely for shock and spectacle.

In 2023, Suits oddly became the most-watched series on streaming services. The series has had over three billion minutes streamed three weeks in a row, more than any big-budget Disney+ or HBO series. As a result, Suits has had a total renaissance and gained tons of fans who are new to the legal drama. Nevertheless, there are plenty of shocking things going on in Suits behind the scenes to be discovered by fans old and new. Whether it concerns scrapped storylines, relationships between cast members, or casting secrets, Suits has had a slew of secrets hidden behind its lengthy run.

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Rick Hoffman's Alleged Drunken Incident

The Louis Litt Actor Had A Profanity-Laden Confrontation With Nightclub Security

Louis Litt's (Rick Hoffman) awkward, oftentimes cringe-inducing catchphrase on Suits has always been, "You just got Litt up!" However, in real life, Hoffman is rumored to have once gotten too "lit up" himself at a nightclub. A 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. However, nothing ever came of the incident beyond the single eyewitness video.

Future Royalty Meghan Markle Was Married When Suits Began

The Royal Was Marred To Trevor Engelson Between 2011 & 2013

Rachel Zane actor Meghan Markle is married to Prince Harry, but before all the glitz and glamour of a royal wedding, 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 Heathers reboot television series, which is an adaptation of the 1988 dark comedy of the same name. Markle and Engelson had been together since 2004, but in 2013, the longtime couple ultimately called it quits and filed for divorce.

Suits' Harvey & Zoe Lawford Are Married In Real Life

Gabriel Macht & Jacinda Barrett Have Been Married For Over A Decade

In Suits season 2, the series introduced a woman from Harvey's (Gabriel Macht) past - Zoe Lawford (Jacinda Barrett) - with whom he'd always had a complicated, romantically fraught relationship. It always boiled down to bad timing for the two of them, who cared deeply for one another, but were never able to make it work. The chemistry between Harvey and Zoe was effortless and natural, which is hardly surprising, given that Macht and Barrett and Barrett have been married for over a decade.

Jenna Coleman Auditioned For The Role Of Suits' Rachel Zane

The Doctor Who Star Almost Played The Paralegal

In extremely rare cases, audition footage will be released or stumbled across on the internet that provides an intriguing glimpse at what almost came to be. In a hard-to-find video that has been circulating across fansites and YouTube since around 2013, it was revealed that Jenna Coleman once auditioned for the role of paralegal Rachel Zane. Coleman instead starred as Doctor Who's Clara Oswald and Queen Victoria in Victoria. However, making this Suits behind-the-scenes coincidence all the more amusing is the fact that she was once rumored to be romantically linked with Prince Harry (via Vanity Fair).

Jessica Pearson Was Originally A Male Character In Suits

Gina Torres Is Iconic In The Power Player Role

Choosing the right actor for a role can be the most difficult part of bringing a series to life. A Suits behind-the-scenes, late-in-the-game fact led to the creation of an iconic Suits character. Originally, Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres) was intended to be male (via EW). However, through input from both the network and the creatives, it was determined that the character should be female.

Torres is great in the power player role, which provides the show with its strong backbone of female empowerment. The decision couldn't have been better, as it adds diversity to a cast of mostly white males.

Celebrity Cameos Were Included Due To The Celebrities Being Huge Suits Fans

Michael Phelps & Charles Barkley Were Big Fans Of The Show

Even well-known celebrities can be huge fans of TV shows, which leads to huge stars getting walk-on roles or flashy Suits guest spots. Big-name stars such as Michael Phelps and Charles Barkley have been open about their status as proud "Suitors;" longtime fans of the show (via THR). As a result of their open fandom, both men - renowned in their respective worlds of sports - were allowed guest appearances in the legal series. Michael Phelps had his guest appearance in season 3, episode 11, "Buried Secrets," and Charles Barkley appeared as himself in Suits season 5, episode 3, "No Refills."

Suits Is More Profanity-Filled Than Any Other USA Network Show

Suits Was An Edgier Show For Blue Skies Network At The Time

Given the sort of people the lawyers at Pearson Hardman/Pearson Specter Litt find themselves dealing with, it's no surprise that these characters are 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. Suits pushes the limits of basic cable, and characters have no shame dropping the f-bomb.

Gabriel Macht Hates Harvey's Signature Suits Hairstyle

The Character's Suave Style Isn't To Macht's Liking

From The Fonzie to The Rachel, hair can be a big determining factor in how well characters may be remembered down the line. 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 (via Showbiz Cheat Sheet). Macht has been open about how much he dislikes Harvey's suave style. However, for Harvey's charming, slick persona, the hair is what it is, and for nine seasons, it's worked.

Patrick J. Adams' Unique Game Of Thrones Trauma

The Red Wedding Left A Toll On The Mike Ross Actor

Game of Thrones' Red Wedding was the TV event of the decade and left most fans totally traumatized. In Suits behind the scenes, even leading man Patrick J. Adams felt the weight of that loss. Catelyn Stark actor Michelle Fairley was also starring in a recurring role on Suits, and as a result, Adams worked with Fairley closely. Adams, a self-proclaimed "fangirl" of the series, explained (via Access Online):

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.’

The Mystery Of Suits' Harvard's Order Of The Coif

Harvard Never Actually Had An Order Of The Coif

Louis learning the truth about Mike's credentials - or lack thereof - was a crucial plot point in the 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. As a result, writers were forced to fabricate a plot device that didn't exist in reality. Louis finally realizes that Mike didn't attend Harvard Law because Mike doesn't 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.

Patrick J. Adams' Photography Is Used To Decorate The Suits Sets

Rachel's Office Is Full Of Adams' Art

When not playing Mike Ross, a fraud turned lawyer turned investment banker, 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, 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 a little nod to their actors as well.

Suits Was Often Ranked Second In Most-Watched Cable Series

But That Changed In 2023

Suits came in second to Game of Thrones as the most-watched cable series time and again. In 2017, when both series aired their seventh seasons, Suits was consistently ranked second in cable TV ratings. However, that flipped in 2023, as more people are rewatching Suits than Game of Thrones and has had more than 10 billion minutes streamed, leading to speculation about Suits season 10.

Making matters all the more amusing is that Game of Thrones and Suits have shared cast members, with Michelle Fairley and Conleth Hill of Game of Thrones crossing over to recur on the legal drama.

Suits' Original Daniel Hardman Was Very Different

Scenes Were Cut From The U.S. Broadcast But Included In Foreign Broadcasts

In Suits' pilot episode, 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. However, making matters more confusing is the fact that this scene was included in foreign broadcasts and remains included in repeat airings.

Meghan Markle's Early Career Included Modeling On Deal Or No Deal

She Was A Suitcase-Holding Model On The 2000s Game Show

Meghan Markle is an onscreen legal professional, an offscreen member of the British royal family, and a one-time 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.

Harvey & Donna Were Never Meant To Be Romantic In Suits

Suits Showrunner Aaron Korsh Admitted That They Were Never Conceived As A Romantic Relationship

Certain relationships develop naturally throughout a writing project, whether it's a novel, a film, or a television series. However, in other cases, it's painfully obvious when a relationship is forced to grow inorganically, and most often as a result of fan interference. Harvey and Donna's cringe-worthy development in Suits had the latter sort of relationship. Suits showrunner Aaron Korsh stated that Harvey and Donna were never conceived of as a romantic relationship (via USA Network). However, their dynamic veered heavy-handedly into an often one-sided display of affection - arguably to the detriment of the series as a whole.

Sources: Radar Online, YouTube, Vanity Fair, EW, THR, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Access Online, Instagram, USA Network