Exclusive interview with Patrick J. Adams

February 14, 2014 | The charming legal comedy-drama "Suits" just started airing in Germany, so lead actor Patrick J. Adams kindly took the time to answer a few of our questions. In our interview he explores the special relationship between Mike and his mentor Harvey (read our interview with Gabriel Macht), reveals some practical jokes from behind the scenes and tells us about his favorite fan encounter while backpacking in New Zealand.

Note: © myFanbase 2014 - The interview is exclusive to myFanbase and may not be published on other websites or the like. You may share the first two questions (up to 180 words) if you link back to this site. Translations other than English and German may be posted with full credit including the writer's name and link to this site.

1) What one thing about "Suits" would people not know?

Wow, that's a good question! I have to think about that one… Maybe they wouldn't know what the show was originally called. "A Legal Mind" – that was the originally name of the show when we were shooting the pilot, so I have the original script and all that with this name on it. I don't know if that's really exciting but it was the first thing that came to my head that people might not know. If I think of more along the way I let you know.

2) Okay, then let's go on with an easier question: Why did you audition for the part of Mike Ross?

Because I was poor! (laughs) No, I read the script for "Suits" and instantly just fell in love with the character of Mike. It was very similar to what I was going through during my life at that point, feeling like I had a lot of opportunities to succeed and none of them had quite worked out for me. I read the script and saw Mike on the page and I immediately related to it. I said, this is me, I get it. It's nice to have a character on television that feels like an origin story, like he's going somewhere, he's not already the coolest guy in the room, he's not already the most powerful guy in the room, he's somebody who's ascending to power and I thought that this was really interesting. So I just jumped at the opportunity and the material – but I also was poor.

3) What do you admire about your character?

I admire a lot about Mike! I think that he is obviously really brave and that he's someone who creates his own opportunities. He can also be foolish and not fully thinks things through and that can be frustrating. But I think his heart is always in a really good place and he cares deeply about the people in his life. He is willing to do anything for them and their well-being and I think that's a pretty admirable quality.

4) The relationship between Mike and Harvey is the center of the show – what makes this "bromance" so special?

There is a serious answer and a light answer. I think what makes it special is Gabriel's and my respect for each other, our ability to play and not taking ourselves or each other too seriously. That has created a certain lightness and fun to the relationship. But there's a deeper level to the two characters, I think the show really explores mentorship. They have the ability to have a lot of fun together but they also know that there is something important between them for both of them to learn and they are both drawn to that. I think that gives the show its weight when it's necessary and people really see that and relate to it. And it's not something that's explored on a lot of different television shows, the concept of real mentorship. But I think it's also the fact that Gabriel and I just try to make each other laugh as much as possible when we are shooting, we screw with each other and do practical jokes pretty much nonstop. That's probably the real reason why on camera it's so much fun for people to watch.

Foto: Gabriel Macht & Patrick J. Adams, Suits - Copyright: 2011 Universal Television
Gabriel Macht & Patrick J. Adams, Suits
© 2011 Universal Television

5) In retrospect: What was the first milestone in their relationship and why?

I think the first one happened in the first episode, when Harvey agrees to hire him – that moment, that's when it all begins. From there it's going to just be different tests of the strength of their relationship and the amount of loyalty that Mike has to Harvey. All of that's going to get tested along the way but I think that the first most important milestone is definitely the moment that Harvey brought him on board and basically put himself and his entire firm at risk.

6) When you started shooting season one, did you have your own theory how Mike's secret will be revealed that he never went to Harvard?

Not really, because we were just so focused on what we were doing. I mean, I always have ideas about how things might end up a little bit, but it seems the show takes that very seriously how the secret is revealed and to who and how it comes about. And it's always in a completely different and creative way. So I never really ventured to guess how it will come out, I just spent a lot time wondering what Mike would do if it came out. Like anybody in a situation where they are living a lie you're constantly wondering if it comes out and how you would deal with the fallout from that. Most of the time I'm just thinking about that and if the script comes along and it has somebody finding out, then I just use that as my guide. But I need to keep that fear alive constantly that this could all go terribly wrong for Mike.

7) Can you tell us something about the love triangle between Mike, Rachel and Jenny? Is it kind of Mike's old world vs his new world?

That's a very good way of putting it. Yeah, I think there's the comfort of the person you've known forever, the person who you can just shut out the rest of the world with and it's totally comfortable, normal, familiar and easy. And then there's the person that's part of Mike's other world, who challenges him and doesn't let him get away with things, who doesn't just laugh at his jokes and thinks he's the cutest, who doesn't tolerate the part of Mike that just lets things go and doesn't fight for things. So you're seeing the tearing of those two, the past and the future, that thing that we all go through as we're getting older and start trying to do what we want to do with our lives. You can stay and be who you were before or you have to take the leap of faith and try something else. It doesn’t make Jenny or that old world worse that the new one, it just means you're changing and sometimes it's hard to change with other people around. So I think that's the crux of this relationship in season one.

8) How is the atmosphere on set like? Who likes goofing around most? Any anecdotes you would like to share?

people=Rick Hoffman]2174[/people] is the craziest person alive, he's the funniest! When he comes on set it's the best day you ever had, because he's just poking everybody's buttons, he gets into fake fights with everybody. We're all a little subdued in the face of Rick. We skateboard around our set and every time I see Gabriel's skateboard propped up outside at a door I always move it somewhere completely different. And he still I think doesn't know that it's me, I've been doing it for over two seasons and he keeps asking, trying to find out who moves his skateboard. So I'm hoping I can get to the end of the show without him finding out. And then, the women on our show are so incredible, they have such deep senses of humor. They are also very intelligent and sort of keep all of us crazy guys grounded. We really have the best time and it feels good to go to work and know that so many people have your back and want you to do your best work and help you to do your best work. It's a nonstop love fest over there.

9) Do you have a personal favorite among the supporting characters and guest actors?

Talking about Jenny – I really love having Jenny on the show, Vanessa Ray, one of my alltime favorite people. I thought her character on the show is terrific, so she's got my vote. I also really like Tom Lipinski, too, who plays Trevor. I know a lot of people don't like him because he's the bad guy out front, but I love to have him around. It's fun to see Mike in this relationship with somebody who brings out a different side of him and it's always real fun for me to play. So those two for sure.[

10) I've recently did a rerun of "Friday Night Lights" where you've been a guest star yourself. Was it difficult or liberating to have not everything scripted out in detail?

You know, when I did "Friday Night Lights" it was pretty much scripted. There wasn't a lot of rehearsal so I didn't do a lot of ad-libbing, at least not at first. And because it was very early in the show, it was the first season, I think even their sense of ad-libbing wasn't as much as it was by the end of it. But it was an amazing opportunity, I just loved the way they worked. I'd worked on so many TV shows by that point and never once seen anything like that that encourages the actors to follow their instinct and their impulses. It's sort of unheard of and I think it's the reason why that show is so incredible and people have responded to it the way they have. So that was truly one of the highlights of my career before I got to do "Suits".

11) How would you compare it to "Suits" where all the dialogues are so witty and perfectly timed? Or is there still room for improvisation?

Yes, we have a lot of room to play, we do what's scripted and then we usually have a couple of passes were we see if we can come up with something that makes everybody laugh. And when you get everybody on set laughing it's a good indication that it works and it usually ends up being used on the episode. But you have to be careful with improvisation because when you jump too far down that road and you're just constantly making things up then it can jump off the rails pretty quickly. We like to use the script as the main guide, make sure that we get it right and then just do whatever we possibly can in the last couple of takes to see what else there is to do in the beginning and end at a scene.

12) Do you get recognized a lot on the street?

Yeah, it's not bad. (laughs) It depends which city I'm in, the show is very successful in a lot of different places. It's strange to touch down in a different country, not knowing if "Suits" airs there or not and then all of a sudden you get to the customs officials or something and they look at you and say "Oh my god" and then I know "Ok, in this country people are going to watch the show". And then there are other countries I go to, where certain people aren't watching it that much or don't watch TV as much. But generally it seems to be getting such a wide audience all over the place that I do run into some fans in some really crazy places where I never would expect it to.

13) What was your favorite encounter with a fan?

I think my favorite was… I was backpacking in New Zealand, I was on a backpacking trip for like four days and walking through the wilderness of New Zealand and came across a guy at one point who had slipped. A couple of Swedish guys, one of them had slipped and hurt his knee. And I pulled out my med pac and cleaned his knee out for him, put a bandage on it and wrapped it and said "Good luck, see you guys". I walked down to the bottom and they were looking at me strangely. They said "Hey, you want a ride?" and I took a ride, so they drove me to where my car was parked. They were just being a little strange all the time and then finally they asked about 45 minutes in "Where do you live? " I said Los Angeles. "Are you Mike Ross from "Suits"?" – and these four Swedish guys were like the biggest "Suits" fans in the world, they just watched the entire season before they came on this trip. So there we were in this car together and they were freaking out that I was here with them, in the middle of nowhere in New Zealand. Encounters like that make me really happy.

14) Since myFanbase is an online magazine about tv shows – what are your favorite shows?

My favorite shows right now are "Game of Thrones", easily, "Breaking Bad" was one of my favorites, "Girls" I really like, "House of Cards" and this new show "Transparent" on Amazon. And "Orphan Black"! It's a great show. I was a big fan of "Battlestar Galactica" – I pretty much watch everything, I love good television.

Thank you very much, Patrick, it was a pleasure talking to you!

Yes, thank you and hopefully we'll do it again soon. I hope "Suits" does really well over there, we're so happy that it's arriving. Take care!

Lena Stadelmann - myFanbase

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