Suits actor Gabriel Macht sat down on the Toronto set to talk about his character, Harvey Specter, and how he’s evolved in season two of the USA Network series.
The Deadbolt recently touched down in Toronto to visit the production set of Suits and get a first hand look at what fans can expect when the popular legal drama returns to USA Network on Wednesday, June 14. Although we started off our Suits set visit with Patrick J. Adams, who plays the intellectually gifted legal hot shot Mike Ross, all eyes were on actor Gabriel Macht when he entered the Pearson Hardman boardroom in a tuxedo to discuss his Suits character, Harvey Specter, and what we can expect from the senior partner in the second season.
After a quick break in between interviews, I returned to the Pearson Hardman boardroom only to hear swoons from the female reporters as Gabriel Macht sat at the head of the table in a tuxedo. As we learned during our on-set interview with Macht, Harvey was preparing for a keynote speech in Atlantic City, which required the senior partner to be in a tux, that fans will see in a future season two episode. And despite the fact that Gabriel Macht’s tuxedo was part of the Suits wardrobe department, we highly doubt Harvey wears a rented tux.
When Suits resumes on June 14, Harvey Specter and the legal characters of Pearson Hardman find themselves dealing with a slew of unexpected obstacles. Although Harvey took a huge gamble on hiring the legally inexperienced Mike Ross in the first season of Suits, the move paid off in several unique ways.
In season one, Harvey not only schooled Mike Ross in the legal practices of Pearson Hardman but was able to keep Mike’s education a secret from his boss and founding partner, Jessica Pearson.
So, with Mike’s secret still a mystery to Jessica, does Gabriel Macht feel that Harvey is more or less confident when the second season begins?
“Harvey’s always confident. I also think that underneath, deep inside, there’s got to be a lot of lot of insecurities that Harvey’s got. That’s part of the reason that he’s sort of overconfident. And that’s how he feels like he gets things done and across. He comes up against a lot of challenges that shake his confidence, but I think he’s a guy that really does believe in presentation. And to protect his clients and to protect his streak, he sort of puts up that front.”
For much of the first Suits season, Harvey Specter walked a tight legal high-wire as he balanced his cases, made sure he remained a winner, kept Mike’s secret from the firm, and fought off junior partner Louis Litt who was growing more apprehensive about Ross with each episode.
Interestingly, it wasn’t until mid-season that we got our first look at Harvey’s condo and what he’s like at home away from Pearson Hardman. Despite getting a look at his past relationships, both professional and personal, Harvey was more of a mystery away from the job.
In season two of Suits, will fans see more of Harvey Specter’s personal life? As Gabriel Macht revealed to reporters, it’s something he’d like to explore.
“I would love to see more and more of his personal life. I think Aaron [Korsh] has always felt that Harvey is such a unique guy and mysterious in so many ways. That’s something that he loves to sort of tease with the audience, he just gives a little bit here and there. I understand that and I think that’s really cool. If we see some of his family, or see where he comes from, we can peek into why he is the way he is. I look forward to that.”
However, aside from the legal cases on Harvey’s plate, the senior partner still has to juggle his professional relationship with Jessica and his hiring of Mike Ross. As Suits fans saw in season one, Harvey Specter is a master at using his charm to get what he wants.
With Jessica Pearson, it’s a different story since she’s not only his boss but also a legal mentor.
So, where do things stand with Harvey and Jessica when Suits returns? As Macht continued on the set in Toronto, both legal minds don’t always see eye-to-eye when it comes to procedure.
“There is a lot of this with Jessica and Harvey this year. There is like, ‘You’re doing it your way, and you shouldn’t be doing it that way. And you’ve got to calm down.’ Almost like she’s got to put a leash on him but he’s not going to deal like that. But he doesn’t want to lose her trust. That’s a huge.”
Although fans know Harvey Specter as an elite lawyer who knows how to win through charisma, charm and legal expertise, Harvey does put up walls when it comes to personal presentation and perception. For most of season one, Harvey strutted around the firm and the streets of Manhattan with hands in pockets, looking suave and cool like a top notch lawyer should.
As Gabriel Macht explained, however, only a few at Pearson Hardman really know the true Harvey Specter.
Well, as much as Harvey wants them to know.
“There are times in his relationship with Jessica where some of the mask sort of falls and you see a bit more of his insecurities. I don’t think he tries to let anybody else see it. Donna, I think, sees it. We’re going to see some really, really interesting things happen with Donna’s character and some of their past, and how she makes her successes and her failures along the way, which is going to be really quite dynamic.”
With Mike Ross evolving as a character in season two of Suits, there’s no doubt the dynamics between the two will change as Mike becomes more or less confident depending on the direction. Last season, Harvey put Mike Ross through the legal paces in order for the young associate to raise his game, especially to fit into a firm without a law degree.
How the dynamic between Harvey and Mike plays out this season is still a mystery, but it’s clear that Specter has a lot of faith in the person he hired despite Mike’s lack of credentials.
As Gabriel Macht revealed at the end of our interview, it’s all about trusting his ally.
“The funny thing is, I think he trusts Mike more than anybody else. Whether or not he tells him that is another story. I think it’ll create a lot more interesting moments for the show and when when he is able to reveal a little bit more of himself.”
Suits season two premieres Thursday, June 14 at 10/9c on USA Network.