Gabriel Macht Jokes He's "More of an Everyman" Than Harvey Specter
Gabriel Macht and his Suits character, Harvey Specter, aren't cut from the same cloth. Exhibit A: their go-to whiskey.
To the almost criminally delirious delight of fans, Suits alum Gabriel Macht reprises his role of attorney Harvey Specter as a recurring guest star of the NBC spin-off Suits LA, premiering Feb. 23.
Despite the indelible link between actor and his dapper alter ego, Macht insists that he and Harvey aren’t always cut from the same cloth. Nor do they always share the same tastes, he told PEOPLE in an interview about Suits and Suits LA and his latest role as a partner in a whiskey brand.
RELATED: Suits LA Trailer Teases How Harvey Specter Fits Into The Story
“Harvey — he's really a Macallan guy, but I’m not a Macallan guy. I’m a Bear Fight guy," Macht said. "I'm the guy that's just looking for something that tastes great, that's affordable, is approachable."
Accessibility was a condition of Macht, a married family man with three kids, even getting involved with Bear Fight Whiskey in the first place, according to the actor.
"I said, if we're going to do this, I really don't want to make this about Harvey. It's not top shelf... It's an everyman drink. I'm more of an everyman than I am Harvey."
Cheers to differences, which are duly noted. But just like Harvey, Macht is always thinking ahead. That includes how his whiskey brand might pop up in Suits LA. "We're trying to figure out how to incorporate Bear Fight into [an episode],” he told PEOPLE.
How will Harvey Specter figure into Suits LA?
Beginning in 2011, Suits aired for nine seasons across eight years on USA Network. Storylines focused on the evolving friendship between power players Harvey and Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams).
Between the dynamic nature of the show and Macht’s magnetic performance as an alpha-dog attorney, fans fell under the influence. "There are so many kids that have gone to law school because of the show,” the actor previously told PEOPLE.
"When people come up to me and they're like, 'I went to law school because of you,' I always apologize profusely,” Macht added.
These days, nobody’s sorry about where Suits lands in terms of popularity. The show has enjoyed a major resurgence and attracted new viewers thanks to streaming platforms like Peacock. Suits LA will take the drama in fresh directions on the West Coast.
The new show stars Stephen Amell, who’s known for Arrow. He plays former New York federal prosecutor Ted Black, who’s relocated to California and refashioned himself. The series also stars Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt and Bryan Greenberg.
Just how Macht’s Harvey will figure into the fabric of Suits LA will unfold as the show goes along. According to Macht, revisiting his signature role made sense for him and his family – and for the continuity of the original series and the sequel.
In a way, he told PEOPLE, it’s a way to “sort of pass the baton.” And a whiskey highball, while he’s at it.
Fans will remember his character ended the show by getting married and moving out of New York City to join Ross and his wife in Seattle doing more pro bono legal work for people in need. It's unclear, however, where he'll be after all these years when he reemerges in Suits LA. Curious fans will just have to tune in to find out.
Suits LA premieres on NBC on February 23, 2025. You can stream the original series on Peacock.
