The legal drama Suits has seen a resurgence in viewership despite its end in 2019, after its streaming debut on Netflix. The show features Gabriel Macht and Patrick J Adams in the lead roles as lawyers Harvey Specter and Mike Ross, who work for the fictional firm Pearson Hardman.
The show lasted nine seasons and ran from 2011 to 2019, earning a solid fanbase over the years. However, Adams left the show after the seventh season along with co-stars Meghan Markle and Gina Torres, leaving Macht to do most of the heavy lifting of the show for two more seasons. The actor revealed that it was hard to see his co-star leaving him in the series. Spoilers ahead for the show.
Why Did Patrick J Adams Leave The Show?
Patrick J Adams starred as the wunderkind Mike Ross in the legal drama Suits. Ross was a genius, who had eidetic memory and could remember anything he read and understood. The story revolved around his hiring as a lawyer to the fictional firm Pearson Hardman, despite never attending law school. His partner in crime was Gabriel Macht’s Harvey Specter.
Adams received much attention and glory for his portrayal of Mike Ross in the show, as he earned a nomination for his role at the 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards. He was appreciated for his chemistry with both Macht and his on-screen love interest Meghan Markle, who played the paralegal Rachel Zane.
After the seventh season, Patrick J Adams decided to leave the show along with Meghan Markle and Gina Torres. By then, Ross had already been caught for fraud and had served prison time. Talking about his decision to leave, Adams spoke to The Hollywood Reporter,
“After seven seasons — really, eight years of being away from home and away from my now-wife [Troian Bellisario], and there was that pressure…From a story point of view, I was a little unsure of what was left for him to do…I wasn’t sure how we were going to work that version of the character into the fabric of the show.”
The actor mentioned that he wanted to leave during the sixth season but was then convinced by a storyline pitched by Gabriel Macht, but then decided to leave after the seventh. He mentioned that he did not want Mike Ross to be ‘just another lawyer on television.’
Gabriel Macht Was Depressed And Sad After Patrick J Adams’ Departure
While there were still some of the old gang left in the show, Gabriel Macht had lost three co-stars from the show. Apart from Patrick J Adams, Gina Torres who played Jessica Pearson, and Meghan Markle who played Rachel Zane, also exited the show. While Markle left the show for her royal wedding to Prince Harry, Torres left due to some personal issues.
This left Gabriel Macht to do all the heavy lifting of the show, having lost his beloved associate as well as the managing partner of Pearson Hardman. Macht was reportedly sad about the departure of his co-stars, saying that their exit left a massive void.
He particularly felt bad about Adams’ departure as they had apparently made a pact to push the limits of the series together. He spoke to Collider about his first day back on set without the main cast,
“It was really hard. Honestly, it was really, really tough. There was a massive void, by not having Patrick and Meghan around…We made that deal, sitting down for lunch before we even started shooting the pilot. So, coming back and knowing that he wasn’t there, that was a little scary for me and it was a little depressing, honestly. He was my partner in crime, and I thought we would finish together.”
The actor reportedly contacted Patrick J Adams to say that it was weird not having him around to which Adams assured him that he would be there in spirit.
